An Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour to Active Recreation Participation: Cultural and Gender Differences

Abstract

The theory of planned behaviour was adopted as the theoretical framework to examine factors that underpinned participation in regular active recreation in Australia and Hong Kong. The study samples comprised 991 Australian and 892 Hong Kong undergraduate university students. Structural equation modelling was used to test the theory. The hypothesised model fitted both the Australian and Hong Kong data satisfactorily. For both cultural groups, a positive attitude towards active recreation was the strongest predictor of participation intention. Perceived behavioural control was also a significant predictor, whereas subject norm failed to predict participation intention. As expected, participation intention was positively associated with regular participation for both groups. However, perceived behavioural control had a weak direct influence on participation for Hong Kong but not for Australian students. The application of the model separately to Australian men and women and Hong Kong men and women found similar relationships between the constructs for the gender groups.