Preferences for active recreation and perceived constraints to regular active recreation participation: A cross‐cultural study of Hong Kong and Australian university students

Abstract

The present study adopted the trans‐theoretical model of behavioural change (Prochasksa & DiClemente, 1984) as a conceptual framework to compare the extent of active recreation participation, preferences for active recreation, and the perception of constraints to participation in regular active recreation of university students in Hong Kong and Australia. A total of 1,336 Hong Kong and 1,282 Australian university students completed self‐administered questionnaires. Findings of the study indicated that Hong Kong students were generally less active, and had lower intention to become more active, lower preferences for active recreation, and higher levels of interpersonal constraints, physiological constraints, and competence constraints but had lower levels of financial constraints than the Australian students. For both cultural groups, enduring participants had a higher preference for active recreation, lower preference for time‐consuming sedentary leisure, and perceived lower levels of constraints to active recreation participation than the transitional participants and non‐participants. The transitional participants generally had a broad interest in a range of leisure pursuit whereas the non‐participants were characterized by low interest in and preference for active recreation rather than a broad leisure interest. The study suggests that social and cultural environments were important factors that influence young people's leisure interest and active recreation participation.