Tenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

Research highlights a relationship between truancy and a range of at-risk behaviors, while resiliency research has identified protective factors for at-risk children, including connectedness to adults and school, and participation in extracurricular activities like sport. This study explored the links between school sport participation, school connectedness, and school attendance. Using a mixed-methods research design, self-report data on school sports participation, school attendance, and school connectedness were collected from 1153 male and 1245 female students aged between eleven and seventeen years from four high schools using an anonymous questionnaire. A subset of students (N=93) participated in focus group interviews. Quantitative data analyses revealed a significant interaction between sport participation and truancy (p <.001); frequent truants were less likely to participate in school sports (p < 0.00), while infrequent truants were more likely to play sport (p= 0.01). Participation in school sports was associated with higher school connectedness scores: students who truanted frequently scored significantly lower on school connectedness than students who truanted infrequently and students who had not truanted (p < 0.000). Qualitative analysis revealed that school sport participation was viewed by students as contributing to their physical, social and psychological well-being and connection to school, and provided motivation for students to regularly attend school. Findings suggest that school sport participation is linked to school connectedness and more frequent school attendance. The value of school sport participation in contributing to positive outcomes for children is discussed, and ways of promoting wider participation in school sports are considered.