Abstract
Objective: The aim of this case study was to predict the physical activity intention and behaviour of secondary school students in Hong Kong by applying the Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and past physical activity behaviour. Methods: 486 students (250 male and 236 female), ranging in age from 11 to 18 years, were enrolled in this study. By means of self-administrated questionnaire, demographic data, past physical activity and variables of theory of planned behaviour, such as attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control were measured. Results: About 75% of students did not meet the standard of the physical activity recommended by government. Male had significantly higher behavioural intention than female. The variables of theory of planned behaviour explained 53.1% of physical activity intention with significant factors of subjective norm and perceived behavioural control (PBC), increasing to 56.2% with the addition of past physical activity behaviour. When predicting physical activity behaviour, theory of planned behaviour accounted for 26.6% of the variance. The prediction was further improved by including past physical activity behaviour. Conclusions: Results of this study give evidence that the theory of planned behaviour is a useful framework for prediction of physical activity intention of adolescents in Hong Kong. Among the variables, perceived behavioural control and past behaviour played a significant role in modelling the physical activity intention and behaviour of secondary students.
Highlights
It is well-known that regular physical activity brings many health benefits
About 75% (369 out of 486 students) of students did not meet the standard of the physical activity guideline recommended by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department in Hong Kong (30 minutes per session and at least 3 times a week)
Around 17% of students did not do any physical activity within the recent month
Summary
It is well-known that regular physical activity brings many health benefits. It helps to improve body fitness, and prevents chronic diseases, relieves pressure and extends social network [1,2,3]. According to World Health Organization [4], inadequate physical activity ranked the fourth leading cause of global mortality. Diseases caused by lacking physical activity were reported that have contributed to 6% of global mortality rate. For the sake of society, regular physical activity was suggested to be essential to improve public health and relieve financial burden on public medical expenditure indirectly [5,6]. A study estimated that the social costs expensed on each citizen due to physical inactivity could be up to €150-300 each year in Switzerland and United Kingdom [7]
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