Attitude of junior and senior high school students towards physical activity in Abetifi-Kwahu

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the attitude of junior high and senior high school students towards physical activity (PA) and further determine the prevalence of PA among the cohorts. The present study employed a descriptive cross sectional mixed-method approach where 725 participants with age interval between 12 and 19 years from 5 JHS and 1 SHS in Abetifi-Kwahu were used as study sample. A multistage technique was used for sampling the participants. The attitudes were assessed by using a self-administered questionnaire, thus the Student’s Attitude towards Physical Activity Skill (SAPA). Four dimensions of attitudes were considered for data collection, namely: social experience, health and fitness, aesthetic experience, and catharsis. Data was analyzed using frequencies and percentages. However, homogeneity of variance was tested using Levine’s test. Normality was tested using the Shapiro–Wilk test. Descriptive statistics of the participants were presented as mean and standard deviation (SD). Independent T-test was conducted to find the differences while bivariate correlation was used to find the relationship between students’ attitude towards physical activity and their prevalence of the activities. Results of the study showed that JHS and SHS students in Abetifi have a favourable attitude towards physical activities and they like to participate in such activities to improve their health. The results did not find a significant difference in the attitude of JHS and SHS students towards PA. However, most of the participants were aware of the benefits related to participating in PA. The findings also revealed that the prevalence of PA among JHS and SHS students was high, with walking and jogging being the most highly rated PA among students in Abetifi. There was also a positive correlation between students’ attitude and prevalence of physical activity engagement. Based on the findings, the study recommended that GES should increase the amount and quality of physical activity in schools by improving physical education lessons, introduce in the schools a 30 minute walking and jogging activity on a routine basis throughout the week before or after the academic period. In-service training should be organized for teachers on PA and how to inculcate PA into teaching other subjects.