EFFECT OF SENSE OF SELF ON EXERCISE PARTICIPATION AMONG THE YOUTHS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Health promotion entails the process of engaging in an act that improves overall health and well-being and avoids health-compromising behaviour. Physical activities have been identified as a remarkable health promotion strategy that contributes significantly to good health and reduced ill-health. However, the motivation to engage in exercise has generated concerns over the years. A sedentary lifestyle, especially among young people, has attracted research attention in the past few decades. Thus, we report the result of a study to explore a sense of self as a possible correlate of exercise participation among the youths in Enugu state. One hundred and six participants within the ages of 25-40 drawn from public tertiary institutions in Enugu state completed a self-report measure of sense of self and physical activity participation. The result of simple linear regression revealed a statistically significant relationship between the variables. We concluded that a sense of self is an essential predictor of exercise engagement among the youth.