6533b7dafe1ef96bd126e013

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Sport motivation among young adolescents in Finland, Norway and Sweden

subject

description

Within a health promotion perspective, nationwide surveys on health behaviour and lifestyle in 11- to 15-year-old schoolchildren were carried out in Finland, Norway and Sweden in 1985–1986. The surveys were part of an international World Health Organization study on health behaviour in school-age children. The findings suggest that social, fun and health motives are perceived as the main motivations for sport participation. Competition and achievements were not rated as important reasons for liking sport, with older pupils seeming to attach more importance to sport being fun. Winning and achieving better skills in sport seem to decrease in importance as pupils grow older. The present findings imply that health promotion programmes aimed at increasing the level of physical activity among children would be more effective if physical activities and games were designed with pro-social objectives in mind, emphasizing cooperation, fun and sharing.