RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ATTITUDES TOWARDS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SPORTS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE COLLEGE STUDENTS

Abstract

Jesús Manuel López-Bonilla, Luis Miguel López-Bonilla, Francisco Serra y Cláudia Ribeiro

The propose of this study is to analyse the existing relationship between attitudes towards physical activity and sports and academic performance at university level from a cross-cultural perspective. This study is based on two samples of Spanish and Portuguese college students from the Degree in Tourism. The sample of Spanish students comprises 108 students, while the sample of Portuguese students comprises 92 students. Psychometric analysis through latent structure analysis is conducted. For this, the Dosil's (2002) scale of attitudes towards physical activity and sports was used. The results show a direct relationship between attitudes towards physical activity and academic performance, yet only in the sample of Spanish male students. Moreover, it was confirmed the validation of scale of attitudes towards physical activity and sports.