<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><italic>Study aim:</italic> To assess the health awareness and sporting behaviour of qualified physical education (PE) teachers and the extent to which their health models are worth being followed.<italic>Material and methods:</italic> A survey was conducted on the entire Cypriot population (n = 1880) of PE graduates regardless of their actual job. A random sample (n = 531; 28.2%) was selected its main characteristics reflecting those of the total population. The active PE teachers were subjected to face-to-face interviews, those having other jobs responded by mail. The interview questionnaire contained closed, alternative, and open-ended questions.<italic>Results:</italic> Qualified PE graduates engaged in teaching or in sport-related jobs were the most active physically and had highest health awareness. Those, whose jobs were not sport-related, changed their attitudes towards healthy lifestyle and sports. Many of them would have preferred to have undertaken other, sport-unrelated studies. Yet, almost all subjects studied tried to motivate others to be involved in sport activities.<italic>Conclusions:</italic> The health awareness and sporting behaviour of PE-graduates was affected by their current jobs. In effect, those who applied for PE-teacher jobs were at risk of having their health-directed behaviours deteriorated before having got the job. This ought to be considered when designing in- or off-service training courses.</abstract>

Study aim: To assess the health awareness and sporting behaviour of qualified physical education (PE) teachers and the extent to which their health models are worth being followed.Material and methods: A survey was conducted on the entire Cypriot population (n = 1880) of PE graduates regardless of their actual job. A random sample (n = 531; 28.2%) was selected its main characteristics reflecting those of the total population. The active PE teachers were subjected to face-to-face interviews, those having other jobs responded by mail. The interview questionnaire contained closed, alternative, and open-ended questions.Results: Qualified PE graduates engaged in teaching or in sport-related jobs were the most active physically and had highest health awareness. Those, whose jobs were not sport-related, changed their attitudes towards healthy lifestyle and sports. Many of them would have preferred to have undertaken other, sport-unrelated studies. Yet, almost all subjects studied tried to motivate others to be involved in sport activities.Conclusions: The health awareness and sporting behaviour of PE-graduates was affected by their current jobs. In effect, those who applied for PE-teacher jobs were at risk of having their health-directed behaviours deteriorated before having got the job. This ought to be considered when designing in- or off-service training courses.

Health awareness and sporting behaviour of qualified Cypriot physical education teachers

Department of Social Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

Biomedical Human Kinetics

Study aim: To assess the health awareness and sporting behaviour of qualified physical education (PE) teachers and the extent to which their health models are...

Health awareness and sporting behaviour of qualified Cypriot physical education teachers

Published Online: Jul 12, 2010

Page range: 54 - 57

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10101-010-0013-y

Keywords
PE teachers, Sporting behaviour, Health awareness, Lifestyle

This content is open access.

Health awareness and sporting behaviour of qualified Cypriot physical education teachers

Published Online: Jul 12, 2010

Page range: 54 - 57

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10101-010-0013-y

KeywordsPE teachers, Sporting behaviour, Health awareness, Lifestyle

This content is open access.

Keywords
PE teachers, Sporting behaviour, Health awareness, Lifestyle