Perceived Barriers to Recreation Sport Participation in University Students: A Comparison between International and Local Students in the United States

It is generally known that sport participation promotes greater social interactions. For students in a foreign and a new country, a positive social interaction can be translated into a positive social adjustment process and a greater psychological well-being. Despite its benefits, participation in sports activities is low among university students, especially the international students. The present study, therefore, sought to examine the barriers that would likely hinder international and local college students from participating in sport activities in one of the colleges in Springfield, United States. Using purposive sampling, 64 college students participated in this cross sectional survey study. Data were collected using a modified Leisure Barriers Scale developed by Raymore, Godbey, Crawford and Von Eye (1993). Using descriptive statistics and independent group t-test, the results revealed 'convenient facilities', 'time' and 'information regarding available activities' as the most hindering factors for international students from participating in campus sport activities. The results of the independent group t-test revealed that intrapersonal barriers (p < 0.04) and interpersonal barriers (p < 0.02) were significantly higher among international students compared to the local students. No difference was found between the two groups with regard to Structural Barriers. Parallel with the results, greater efforts may be made to promote greater awareness with regard to facilities convenience, such as facilities operating hours, and availability of campus activities to the students. For international students, activities that promote the elements of social interaction and are sensitive to cultural and individual differences may encourage greater participation in campus sporting activities.