چكيده لاتين
Understanding the nature and mechanisms of the relationship between social support and adherence to physical activity is a significant area of interest in psychology, health promotion, and exercise science. However, the specific relationship between social support and adherence to physical activity among youth remains not well-established. This study aimed to investigate the influence of different sources and types of social support on adherence to physical activity. The sample consisted of 201 adolescents aged 10-18 years (Mage = 14.01 years, SD = 1.86; N = 100 female) who voluntarily participated in physical activity and sports programs during the summer of 2022. The participants were asked to report the level of support they received from various individuals, including their parents, siblings, coaches and teachers, peers and friends, and others. Nine types of support were assessed for each reference person, including encouragement, companionship, watching, talking, admiring, planning, transporting, paying, and buying sports-related equipment. The level of adherence to physical activity was determined by assessing the participants' attendance in physical activity and sports sessions. Path analysis and structural equation modeling were employed to examine the relationships between sources of support, types of support, and adherence to physical activity. Demographic variables, including body mass index (BMI), the highest education level of each parent, and family income, were included as covariates in the model. The path analysis revealed a positive and significant association between body mass index and adherence to physical activity. Encouragement, companionship, and buying sports-related equipment were significantly correlated with adherence to physical activity. The results also indicated a positive correlation between perceived social support and adherence to physical activity for coaches, while there was a negative correlation for friends. The results also showed that the correlation between perceived social support and adherence to physical activity was positive for coaches and negative for friends. Furthermore, the path analysis suggested that adolescents with higher BMI adhere more to regular physical activity. However, the results showed that the correlation between BMI and adherence to physical activity disappeared when sources and types of social support were included in the model. This suggests that coaches support adolescents in engaging and adhering to regular physical activities through encouragement and companionship, whereas friends do not provide positive and significant support for adherence to physical activity. Future research should focus on interventions to increase social support to promote adherence to physical activity among adolescents
