Date Approved

7-3-2014

Date Posted

7-14-2014

Degree Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department or School

Health Promotion and Human Performance

Committee Member

Susan McCarthy, Ph.D., Chair

Committee Member

Joan Cowdery, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Michael Paciorek, Ph.D.

Abstract

Young children are currently understudied in the area of physical activity enjoyment. Since young children lack the cognitive skills which motivate many adults to participate in physical activity, they have a unique need for specialized intervention programs. The present study explores how enjoyment of physical activity in young children is related to their actual levels of physical activity. Modified versions of the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) and the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C) were used to discover if such a relationship exists in kindergarten students from a multi-ethnic, suburban elementary school. While no significant correlation was found between self-reported physical activity level and overall enjoyment (r(18)=.012, p=.963), it was discovered that the participants in this study enjoy being physically active. These findings provide a basis to further investigate young children’s enjoyment of physical activity.

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