Attività motoria e sportiva in adolescenza, benessere psicosociale e comportamenti a rischio

There is still limited knowledge, especially in the Italian context, about the interrelations between the adolescent adjustment and the participation in physical and sport activities. We investigated the relationships among different levels of involvement in sport activities (none or low, intermediate, high), risk behaviours (e.g. substance use, risky and antisocial behaviours) and psychosocial well-being (e.g. positive self perception, high expectations to continue school, positive expectations for school, value on school experience, and low intentions to drop out from school) in 2273 adolescents (aged 14-19 yrs), of both gender, aged from 14 to 19 years, attending different types of high school in the North-West of Italy. The findings underlined the double meanings of high levels of participation at physical and sport activity. The higher the time spent in sport activity, the higher the positive self perception and the higher also the involvement in marijuana use, risk and antisocial behaviour. The adolescents at intermediate levels of physical and sport activities had positive self-perception, high expectations to continue school and were less involved in risk behaviour than the adolescents at high levels of sport activity. Finally, the adolescents who did not practice any sport activity had low self-perception and expectations to continue school and they were also much involved in marijuana use. These findings suggested to investigating further both the adolescent developmental processes also in relation to the participation in sport activity and the roles of the kind of sport practiced and that of the trainer. Furthermore, they highlighted the importance of promoting adequate physical and sport activities among youths.