Perceived constraints to physical activity and sport: a cross-cultural study between Iranian and Hungarian university students

Abstract

This study aimed to discover and compare the students’ perceived constraints toward participation in physical activity and sport at Iranian and Hungarian universities. The hierarchical model of leisure constraints was used as a theoretical framework of this research. Persian and Hungarian language questionnaires yielded useable data from 1315 Iranian and 793 Hungarian participants. Descriptive and inferential analyses (t-test, MANOVA) were used for analyzing data. The results indicated that Iranian and Hungarian students experienced intrapersonal and structural constraints differently; however, they similarly perceived interpersonal constraints. Furthermore, female students perceived all kinds of constraints more than males at the Iranian universities, while Hungarian students did not show any differences based on gender. From the results it can be concluded that the differences between Iranian and Hungarian students might be related to various culture, values, norms and traditions dominant in each country. Also, various social and economic situations might affect the differences between them. The negative attitude of Iranian society toward women sport is mostly affecting the female students’ participation in regular activities in Iran. However, poor economic situation in Hungary and in most of Hungarian universities is the main hindering factor toward Hungarian students’ involvement in sport. © 2016 World Leisure Organization.