Sports Activity Level and Behavioral Maladjustment Among Male Secondary School Students in Tehran Province, Iran: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Reza  Omidi Ghanbari; Mooud  Bonyadifard; Morteza  Soleimani

doi:10.61838/

Authors

Reza Omidi Ghanbari * General Department of Education of Tehran Province Counties, Tehran, Iran Rezagh1400@gmail.com

Mooud Bonyadifard General Department of Education, Tehran City, Tehran, Iran

Morteza Soleimani General Department of Education of Tehran Province Counties; Education Office, District 1, Baharestan, Iran

https://doi.org/10.61838/

Keywords:

sport participation; physical activity; behavioral maladjustment; male adolescents; secondary school.

Abstract

Behavioral problems during adolescence can disrupt academic performance, social adjustment, and long-term wellbeing. Sport and physical activity have been proposed as modifiable school-based factors that may support healthier psychosocial development. This study examined the association between sports activity level and behavioral maladjustment among male secondary school students in Tehran Province, Iran. The study used an applied, descriptive-survey design. The statistical population comprised 20,513 male students from selected counties of Tehran Province. Using two-stage cluster sampling with proportional allocation based on the Krejcie and Morgan table, 377 students were required; 400 questionnaires were distributed and 361 were analyzed. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire that included demographic and sports-activity items and a behavioral maladjustment scale. Face validity was confirmed by 10 experts in psychology and sport management, and internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.81). Students were classified into four groups: no sports activity, low activity, moderate activity, and high activity. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey post hoc tests were used. More than half of the students (52.9%) were in the low-activity group, whereas 15.0% were in the high-activity group and 6.4% reported no sports activity. Football was the most common preferred sport, followed by bodybuilding. Mean behavioral maladjustment scores differed markedly across activity levels: no activity 3.20 ± 0.85, high activity 2.02 ± 0.41, moderate activity 2.27 ± 0.32, and low activity 3.62 ± 0.62. The between-group difference was statistically significant, F(3, 357) = 190.54, p < 0.001. Tukey comparisons showed that the high-activity group had significantly lower maladjustment scores than the no-activity, moderate-activity, and low-activity groups. Higher sports activity was associated with lower behavioral maladjustment scores among male secondary school students. The findings support strengthening school-based opportunities for regular sport participation, while future research should use standardized behavioral instruments and longitudinal designs to clarify causality.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

1. World Medical Association. World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki: ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. JAMA. 2013;310(20):2191-4. doi: 10.1001/jama.2013.281053.

2. Krejcie RV, Morgan DW. Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement. 1970;30(3):607-10. doi: 10.1177/001316447003000308.

3. Viner RM, Ozer EM, Denny S, Marmot M, Resnick M, Fatusi A, et al. Adolescence and the social determinants of health. Lancet. 2012;379(9826):1641-52. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60149-4.

4. Patton GC, Sawyer SM, Santelli JS, Ross DA, Afifi R, Allen NB, et al. Our future: a Lancet commission on adolescent health and wellbeing. Lancet. 2016;387(10036):2423-78. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00579-1.

5. Janssen I, LeBlanc AG. Systematic review of the health benefits of physical activity and fitness in school-aged children and youth. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2010;7:40. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-7-40.

6. Biddle SJH, Asare M. Physical activity and mental health in children and adolescents: a review of reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2011;45(11):886-95. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2011-090185.

7. Eime RM, Young WC, Harvey JT, Charity MJ, Payne WR. A systematic review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sport for children and adolescents: informing development of a conceptual model of health through sport. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2013;10:98. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-10-98.

8. Chaput J-P, Willumsen J, Bull F, Chou R, Ekelund U, Firth J, et al. 2020 WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour for children and adolescents aged 5-17 years: summary of the evidence. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2020;17(1):141. doi: 10.1186/s12966-020-01037-z.

9. Rodríguez-Ayllón M, Cadenas-Sánchez C, Estévez-López F, Muñoz NE, Mora-Gonzalez J, Migueles JH, et al. Role of physical activity and sedentary behavior in the mental health of preschoolers, children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine. 2019;49(9):1383-410. doi: 10.1007/s40279-019-01099-5.

10. Babiss LA, Gangwisch JE. Sports participation as a protective factor against depression and suicidal ideation in adolescents as mediated by self-esteem and social support. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. 2009;30(5):376-84. doi: 10.1097/DBP.0b013e3181b33659.

11. Lubans DR, Plotnikoff RC, Lubans NJ. Review: a systematic review of the impact of physical activity programmes on social and emotional well-being in at-risk youth. Child and Adolescent Mental Health. 2012;17(1):2-13. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-3588.2011.00623.x.

12. Rutten EA, Stams GJJM, Biesta GJJ, Schuengel C, Dirks E, Hoeksma JB. The contribution of organized youth sport to antisocial and prosocial behavior in adolescent athletes. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 2007;36(3):255-64. doi: 10.1007/s10964-006-9085-y.

13. Gardner M, Roth J, Brooks-Gunn J. Sports participation and juvenile delinquency: the role of the peer context among adolescent boys and girls with varied histories of problem behavior. Developmental Psychology. 2009;45(2):341-53. doi: 10.1037/a0014063.

14. Lila M, Koussa M, Perrino T, Stoutenberg M, Prado G. The association of organized and unorganized physical activity and sedentary behavior with internalizing and externalizing symptoms in Hispanic adolescents. Child and Adolescent Mental Health. 2016;21(2):109-14. doi: 10.1111/camh.12139.

15. Spruit A, van Vugt E, van der Put CE, van der Stouwe T, Stams GJJM. Sports participation and juvenile delinquency: a meta-analytic review. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 2016;45(4):655-71. doi: 10.1007/s10964-015-0389-7.

16. Hermens N, Super S, Verkooijen KT, Koelen MA. A systematic review of life skill development through sports programs serving socially vulnerable youth. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 2017;88(4):408-24. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2017.1355527.