Attraction to physical activity of generation Z: A mixed methodological approach

Abstract

The prevalence of obesity in Generation Z, which includes individuals born after the year 2000, has tripled that of Generation Xers of 1980 [1]. Rising levels of obesity have been associated with increased physical inactivity (PA) [2]. Attraction to physical activity can be grounded in the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) [3], which defines intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and the roles each type of motivation plays in social and cognitive development. The purpose of the current research was to use a mixed-methodological approach to understand attraction to physical activity of a Generation Z sample via semistructured focus groups and the Children's Attraction to Physical Activity (CAPA) assessment. Based on these results, the secondary purpose was to determine whether significant differences exist between attraction to physical activity and gender within the Generation Z sample. The focus groups revealed two overarching themes: attraction and aversion to physical activity, each with subthemes. The CAPA test revealed significant differences between males and females (t = 2.78, df = 63, p = < 0.05), indicating that males (3.39 ± 0.32) were significantly more attracted to physical activity than females (3.13 ± 0.40). The clinical relevance is discussed as being future research and program implementation suggestions.

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“…Interviews consisted of openended questions derived from the Children's Attraction to Physical Activity (CAPA; Brustad, 1993) assessment, the most reliable and convenient assessment that has been used in previous, related research (Biber et al, 2013). Each participant sat in a quiet classroom and was reminded that participation in the study was completely voluntary.…”

“…It's a very hard barrier, pain, and when to know to stop, and when is it just soreness or is this something that's serious?" Research supports this theme of injury as an aversive factor to physical activity enjoyment (Biber et al, 2013). It is unclear from previous research why this theme was only apparent within the athlete's subgroup.…”

User Personas: Discovering Factors That Influence Genz’s Sedentary Lifestyle for the Development of a Mobile Exergame Design Model

“…When it comes to physical activity (PA), certain factors affect GenZs" motivation to exercise. According to (Biber, 2013), GenZs are motivated to be involved in PA when there are high attraction factors: being active and healthy, being able to progressively master skills, getting accomplishment recognised, and interacting and supporting one another socially. In contrast, GenZs are aversed to doing PA when there are possibilities of being incompetent, fear of injury, and lack of social support (T. Padmapriya et al, 2020).…”

VRSurvival Runner: Aplikasi Exergaming Survival berbasis Virtual Reality

“…Exergaming itu sendiri adalah permainan video games yang melibatkan gerakan fisik dalam bermain [7]. Menurut Tabel I generasi muda termotivasi untuk melakukan kegiatan fisik seperti berolahraga bila faktor attraction, atau "menarik"nya tinggi dan aversion, atau keengganannya rendah [8]. TABEL skill master dan accomplishment [9].…”