ABSTRACT
This study investigated the impediments to female participation in sports activities in University of Benin. It sought to examine the influence of the sociocultural effects on the participation of females in sports activities in the University of Benin, influence of physical and physiological effects on females in the participation of sports activities, and influence of gender issues in sport on the participation of females in sports activities in University of Benin. To guide the study, three (3) research questions were raised. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study was made up of 21,843 female undergraduate students. The sample size of this study was 197 female students. The simple random sampling technique was used, where 50 percent of the total population of 393 respondents were selected at random. The number was selected at random after using Taro Yamane formula to reduce the total population of 21,843 to 393 in the University of Benin. The research instrument for the study was a selfconstructed questionnaire. The instrument was validated by the researcher’s supervisor and two other experts in the Department of Human Kinetics and Sports Science, Faculty of Education, University of Benin. Cronbach Alpha statistics was used to establish the internal consistency of the items. The reliability of 0.89 was obtained. The statistical analysis was carried out using percentages for respondents’ bio-data, while mean and standard deviation was used in the data analysis of the raised research questions. The findings of this research based on the research questions raised showed that Socio-cultural factors have influence on female physical activities participation, implying that sociologically, culture, religion, parents, age group and media play a role in influencing physical activities participation by females; physical and physiological factors influence female physical activities participation. This implies that physically female physical activity participation improve body image/physique; while physiologically it improves general body functioning; and gender issues do not influence female participation in physical activities. It was concluded that sociocultural and physicophysiological factors influences female participation in sports, except for gender factors. As a result, culture, religion, environment, society, parents, age group, as well as media individually and collectively play their roles in shaping females decision in wanting to participate in physical activities. It was chiefly recommended that females should not allow body physique and/or masculinity to deter them from sports activity engagement; as well as they should derive strength from their gender in taking part in sports activities.
