Peers, family and participation in organized sport activities during adolescence

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the influence of sport activities by peer groups and the family on the frequency of adolescents’ participation in organized sport activities. A sample of 9,821 Spanish adolescent schoolchildren between the ages of 11 and 18 from the 2010 edition of the international study on Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) was used. The results obtained by means of an Answer Tree multivariate analysis indicated that gender was the best predictor of organized sport activity, with participation being notably higher in boys. As for the role of other variables, the practice of sport in peer and family activities were the most influential variables for boys. On the contrary, in the girls´ case, age appeared as the first factor and the influence of sport in family activities and the peer group was different depending on age. In conclusion, family and peers seem to be significant influences on involvement in sport, despite having different roles according to the adolescents´ gender and age.