ABSTRACT
Background:Motivation, essential for physical activity engagement, encompasses intrinsic drive, often stemming from enjoyment or interest, which proves more sustainable for long-term behaviour change compared to extrinsic factors. Physiotherapy students offer a valuable cohort for investigating motivations to sports participation as it could predict the totality of the wellbeing of future health professionals.
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Methods:The study used convenience sampling with an online questionnaire sent to Physiotherapy students at the University of Benin. A total of 230 students participated, with 139 being female and 91 male. The Sports Motivation Scale was adapted for the study. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, and independent t-test and ANOVA were used to compare mean scores of intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivations and amotivation, aw well as motivation across all levels. The alpha level was set at 0.05.
Results:The study had 57.0% involved in sports. Football was the most popular sport. The mean age of participants was 21.60 ± 2.29 years. Male participants had higher intrinsic motivation scores related to knowledge, accomplishment, and stimulation, and extrinsic motivations like identified and introjected regulation, and external regulation compared to female participants with no significant difference in amotivation between genders. Age correlated positively with extrinsic motivation introjected, external regulation, and amotivation. No significant difference was found in motivation for sport across academic levels.
Conclusion:These findings emphasize the need for customized strategies to enhance sports motivation, particularly targeting females and older individuals to promote inclusivity in sporting activities. Moreover, the consistent motivation across different academic levels highlights the importance of ongoing support for sports involvement throughout university education.
Keywords: Motivation, sport participation, physiotherapy students
