Chinese and American college students' motives for participation in physical activities.

To examine the differences in the current strengths of primary motives for participation in physical activities and exercises 289 Chinese students in China and 180 American students in the United States were administered the Motives for Activity Participation Questionnaire. Two-way analysis of variance indicated that American subjects spent significantly more time participating in physical activity and exercise than did Chinese subjects; men were significantly more likely than women to engage in physical activity and exercise. With respect to the motives for participation, multivariate analysis of variance showed an over-all significant difference on three factors of Weight/Body Management, Mental Health, and Social Interaction among the Chinese and American subjects. Subsequently, stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that social interaction was the primary motive for American men and Chinese women. In contrast, management of body weight was the primary motive for American women.