Georgian Parents’ Attitudes towards Inclusion of Children and Adolescents in Physical Activities and Sports
Authors: Inasaridze Ketevan 
Published: May 2020

Introduction: The study refers problem of children's and adolescents’ physical activity (PA) that affects their health, cognitive and social development. Parental attitudes towards inclusion of children in PA and sports and their perception of benefits and barriers of children’s participation in PA and sports determine parental support.Objectives: The objectives of the study were to determine how parents of children and adolescents in Georgia perceive benefits and barriers of PA and sports; how they assess existing material base and services of PA and sports at schools and sports’ sections; which sports they think are appropriate and recommended for their children to take part and from what age levels; what is their perception of sport education and sport carrier for their children; to investigate the effect on these study questions of the demographic factors as are parents gender, children's gender, education levels of parents and family incomeMethod: 74 parents of children aged from 6 to 17 years were randomly recruited for the cross-sectional study. Parental attitudes towards participation of children and adolescents in PA and sports were studied by the structured questionnaire with closed, multiple-choice and open-ended questions. The attitudes of parents were analyzed according to demographic factors.Results: The study showed limitations in parental awareness of the benefits of PA and sports for children, about appropriate age of children to enter particular sports, about existence and necessity of psychological testing in professional sport orientation. The study revealed parents' recommendations to improve lessons of physical education and sports at schools by creating an appropriate environment, adding more sports at schools, enhancing teachers’ qualification and motivation, and motivating children to be engaged in PA and sports. One of the most prominent barriers for children to enter desired sports was financial-economic problems of families. Parents mentioned as negative factors for approval of sport education and profession the lack of children’s motivation and impossibility of career advancement. They considered as positive factors the opportunity for nurturing successful athletes, gaining pedagogical experience and having a healthy lifestyle. The parental gender and child gender were important factors determining children’s participation in PA and sports. It was found gender stereotypes regarding PA and sports. Parents with higher socio-economic status positively influenced children’s inclusion in PA and sports.Conclusions: The study highlighted groups of parents defined by studied demographic factors that require awareness raising with differential approaches regarding perception of benefits and barriers of children's and adolescents' inclusion in PA and sports. It was revealed the pressing need to develop and implement governmental projects of financial support incorporating provision of better sports' infrastructure, training of coaches and teachers of physical education and sports to make them better professionals, making sports classes and sections more financially affordable for parents of middle and low socio-economic statuses; develop sports’ professional orientation for children by incorporating sport psychology professionals.