Quantitative analysis of students' reasons for nonsuiting and support of policy change at one urban middle school

Physical activity participation in physical education is compromised when students nonsuit. We investigated: (a) reasons for nonsuiting/support of policy change and whether they differed by gender, ethnicity, or grade; and (b) the likelihood of nonsuiting based on the same demographics.

Participants (N = 627) were 6th and 7th graders attending 1 urban middle school located in San Diego, CA. Students completed a questionnaire composed of 4 demographic items, level of agreement with 15 reasons for nonsuiting, and level of support of 6 proposed policy changes. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to classify reasons for nonsuiting items and policy change items. Demographic differences among resultant factor scores and individual items were analyzed using t tests. Associations between factors/items and nonsuit frequency and demographics were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression.

Girls, Latinos, and 7th graders were more likely habitual nonsuits (> or = 4 nonsuits) compared with their respective counterparts. Statistically significant factor scores (reasons for nonsuiting; emotional excuses, utilitarian excuses) were higher among habitual nonsuits but were not different based on gender, grade, and ethnicity. Seventh graders and girls had statistically significantly higher policy change factor scores compared with their respective counterparts.

Acting on student input toward reformulating suiting-out policy as well as addressing emotional excuse reasons, which are primarily under teacher control, may result in lower incidence of habitual nonsuiting.