Twenty-eighth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

The present study analyzes the relationship between different personal characteristics of adolescents (gender, age, body mass index, habitual practice) and the motivation or barriers that determine the practice of physical exercise. A stratified probability sampling was carried out on 852 Compulsory and Post-Compulsory Secondary Education students aged 11 to 18 years (M: 14.9; SD: 1.75), who answered the Report on Motives for the Practice of Physical Exercise (AMPEF), and the Self-report of Barriers to the Practice of Physical Exercise (ABPEF). The data obtained show important differences in motivation and barriers to the practice of physical exercise. Likewise, they also suggest that as age advances, motivation decreases and barriers in physical exercise practice increase, that the higher the body mass index increases motivation and barriers, and a regular practice of physical exercise improves motivation and decreases physical activity barriers. It is concluded that the results obtained may be of interest for the design of healthy programs for prevention or intervention processes in adolescent populations.