Gender Differences in Physical Activity Enjoyment, Psychosocial Functioning, and Physical Fitness Among Elementary Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59944/postaxial.v4i2.1533Keywords:
Enjoyable physical activity, Gender, Physical fitness, PsychosocialAbstract
Regular physical activity is essential for the holistic development of elementary school students. While previous research suggests that gender might influence children's fitness, wellbeing, and enjoyment of movement, existing evidence often remains contradictory. To address this, the current study examined genderbased differences in physical fitness, psychosocial behavior, and exercise enjoyment among elementary students in Pasuruan Regency. Using a comparative crosssectional design, 150 purposively selected students (75 boys and 75 girls) were evaluated using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES), the Prosocial Behaviour Questionnaire (PBQ), and the Indonesian Physical Fitness Test (TKJI). Data analysis using the MannWhitney U test revealed no significant gender differences in activity enjoyment (U = 2317, p = 0.062) or psychosocial functioning (U = 2619, p = 0.464). However, boys significantly outperformed girls in actual physical fitness (U = 1538, p < 0.001). This study clarifies inconsistent literature by demonstrating that despite a clear fitness gap, boys and girls share an equal enthusiasm for exercise and gain similar psychosocial benefits. Practically, these findings emphasize the need for schools to implement differentiated physical education programs that accommodate specific fitness differences while leveraging students' shared enjoyment to foster equitable development for all
References
Agans, J. P., Säfvenbom, R., Davis, J. L., Bowers, E. P., & Lerner, R. M. (2019). Positive movement experiences: Approaching the study of sport, exercise, and human development from a relational developmental systems perspective. Advances in Child Development and Behavior, 57, 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.acdb.2019.04.002
Cairney, J., Dudley, D., Kwan, M., Bulten, R., & Kriellaars, D. (2019). Physical literacy, physical activity and health: Toward an evidence-informed conceptual model. Sports Medicine, 49(3), 371–383. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01063-3
Cattuzzo, M. T., dos Santos Henrique, R., Ré, A. H. N., de Oliveira, I. S., Melo, B. M., de Sousa Moura, M., de Araújo, R. C., & Stodden, D. (2016). Motor competence and health related physical fitness in youth: A systematic review. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 19(2), 123–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2014.12.004
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2023). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (6th ed.). Sage.
Donnelly, J. E., Hillman, C. H., Castelli, D., Etnier, J. L., Lee, S., Tomporowski, P., Lambourne, K., & Szabo-Reed, A. N. (2016). Physical activity, fitness, cognitive function, and academic achievement in children. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 48(6), 1197–1222. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000901
Etikan, I., Musa, S. A., & Alkassim, R. S. (2016). Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 5(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajtas.20160501.11
Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E., & Hyun, H. H. (2022). How to design and evaluate research in education (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Hashim, H. A., Golok, F., & Ali, R. (2018). Psychometric properties of the Malay version of the physical activity enjoyment scale among Malaysian children. Asian Journal of Exercise and Sports Science, 15(1), 44–52. https://doi.org/10.37545/ajess20181514
Lubans, D. R., Plotnikoff, R. C., & Lubans, N. J. (2017). A systematic review of the impact of physical activity programmes on social and emotional wellbeing in at-risk youth. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 17(1), 2–13. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-3588.2011.00623.x
Lubans, D., Richards, J., Hillman, C., Faulkner, G., Beauchamp, M., Nilsson, M., Kelly, P., Smith, J., Raine, L., & Biddle, S. (2016). Physical activity for cognitive and mental health in youth: A systematic review of mechanisms. Pediatrics, 138(3), e20161642. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-1642
Mura, G., Vellante, M., Nardi, A. E., Machado, S., & Carta, M. G. (2015). Effects of school-based physical activity interventions on cognition and academic achievement: A systematic review. CNS and Neurological Disorders Drug Targets, 14(9), 1194–1208. https://doi.org/10.2174/1871527314666150902123049
Ntoumanis, N., Ng, J. Y. Y., Prestwich, A., Quested, E., Hancox, J. E., Thøgersen-Ntoumani, C., Deci, E. L., Ryan, R. M., Lonsdale, C., & Williams, G. C. (2020). A meta-analysis of self-determination theory-informed intervention studies in the health domain: Effects on motivation, health behavior, physical, and psychological health. Health Psychology Review, 15(2), 214–244. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2020.1735660
Tremblay, M. S., Carson, V., Chaput, J.-P., Gorber, S. C., Dinh, T., Duggan, M., Faulkner, G., Gray, C. E., Gruber, R., Janson, K., Janssen, I., Katzmarzyk, P. T., Kho, M. E., Latimer-Cheung, A. E., LeBlanc, C., Okely, A. D., Olds, T., Pate, R. R., Phillips, A., … Zehr, L. (2016). Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth: An Integration of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, and Sleep. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 41(6), S311–S327. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2016-0151
Vella, S. A., Cliff, D. P., Magee, C. A., & Okely, A. D. (2017). Sports participation and parent-reported health-related quality of life in children: Longitudinal associations. Journal of Pediatrics, 164(6), 1469–1474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2014.02.015
