Due to special historical circumstances, advancements in science and technology have affected various aspects of Cypriot people’s life relatively late. However, since the modern way of life requires less and less compulsory physical activity, this has manifested itself recently in the spreading of a sedentary lifestyle in Cyprus also. The purpose of this paper is to present the changes in the frequency, intensity and type of physical activity throughout three Cypriot generations. It is based on a part of research carried out by survey method of the population of that consisted of secondary school students, their parents, and their grandparents. The sample was selected by stratified, random, and snowball selection (N = 1067). With the youngest generation, the data were collected in groups at their school by questionnaire; the members of other two groups answered the questionnaires individually. In order to analyze the data, the Wilcoxon two related sample test and chi-square analyses were performed. The results revealed that the older generations’ everyday life encompassed more active elements in their childhood and youth than the youngsters’ life comprises nowadays. Both intragenerational and intergenerational changes in daily living and health-related physical activity occurred, and the advancements in science and technology have had a contradictory impact on these processes. In the conclusions, the necessity of taking measures to stop the decline of physical activity is emphasized.
Study aim: To examine the factors that motivate Cypriots to participate in sport, particularly examining the differences between the last 3 generations regarding their motivations for sport involvement at the present and at the ages of 12-18 years.Material and methods: The study was completed by survey method among 3 generational groups in Cyprus comprised of secondary school students, their parents, and their grandparents (N=1067). Data were collected via questionnaires that contained 3 open-ended, 16 multiple-choice, and 12 semantic differential scale questions. The response rate was 100% for the students, 77.4% for the parents, and 65.5% for the grandparents. The data were analyzed by the SPSS program for Microsoft Windows; factor analysis and one-way analysis of variance were used.Results: The examined motivations were clustered into two factors: Joy Factor and Health Factor. Significant differences were found among the 3 generations in their sporting activities at present and the ages of 12-18 years. The students' participation motivations for sport are closely related to fun and enjoyment. Their parents have similar motives at present, but in their childhood they considered health enhancement as the most important reason for sport involvement. The oldest generation regarded the improvement of their health as a stimulating factor for sport in their childhood and youth; they did not change this during their whole life cycle.Conclusions: Generational differences in the motivation for participation in sport are probably universal, but their elements are dissimilar depending on the value system in general and in sport in societies. The historical and cultural circumstances in Cyprus allow for the generalization of the conclusions only at the national level.
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