Date of Award

4-2000

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Health, Physical Education and Recreation

First Advisor

Dr. Kris Berg

Abstract

It was the purpose of this research to examine the relationship between reported childhood and adult physical activity (PA), with special regards to the types of activities that correlate with habitual activity. Subjects were 249 male and female students age 19 to 30 years (M = 21.9 years) enrolled at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Subjects were surveyed from all departments on campus. Subjects were asked to complete a survey instrument that assessed past and present PA. The results o f the current study reported that there is a significant positive correlation (r = 0.284, p < 0.05) between the total score of past childhood PA and present adult PA. When past PA was divided into preteen and adolescent periods, there were also significant relationships (p < 0.05) with all of the four indices of present PA (work, sport, leisure and total). Regression analysis explained 17.6 % of the variance in exercise when predicting adult PA from the total score of past PA. The prediction equation is as follows: Y ' = 27.761 + 0.775 (Xi) + 0.276 ( X 2 ) + 0.945 ( X 3 ) + 1.787 (3Ct) - 1.254 ( X 5 ) ; where Xi = number o f varsity athletic letters received as an adolescent, X 2 = informal activities as a preteen, X 3 = level of athletic ability or coordination in favorite sport as an adolescent, X4 = P.F.. classes as an adolescent, and X5 = activity level compared to peers as a preteen. It was concluded that there was a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) between the total score of past PA and each of the four indices of present PA.

Comments

A Thesis Presented to the School o f Health, Physical Education and Recreation and the Faculty of the Graduate College University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Masters of Science University of Nebraska at Omaha. Copyright 2000 Kipp Ryan Kissinger.

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