Factors influencing sports dropout rate among adolescent girls: a study on self-perception and sports identity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v70.113145Keywords:
Adolescence, Dropout, Girls, Sports, Sports identityAbstract
Introduction: Adolescence is a crucial period marked by changes at the physical, psychological, emotional and social levels. During this time, adolescent girls’ sports dropout rates are particularly high, and they generally engage in sports less often and less regularly than boys do. Objective: to analyze self-perception and sports identity among a group of adolescent athletes. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out and these variables were recorded using two standardized scales on a sample of 217 registered athletes.
Results: The results showed significant differences between girls and boys in their self-perception of competence, autonomy and sport identity, potentially related to gender-differentiated socialization regarding the traditional concepts of masculinity and feminity. They also showed that gender stereotypes should be abolished to equalize girl athletes’ identity development, improve their sporting experience and reduce their dropout rate.
Discussion: These findings emphasize the impact of gendered socialization and stereotypes on girls' self-perception and sports identity. Addressing these issues through targeted interventions could foster more equitable sporting experiences and reduce dropout rates among adolescent female athletes.
Conclusions: The study found lower self-perception and sports identity in adolescent girls, linked to gender stereotypes and androcentric in sports, emphasizing interventions to reduce girls' athlete dropout rates.
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