Leveling the Playing Field: Addressing Gender Barriers in Sports Participation among Tertiary Students in Mindanao

Physical activity can improve health and well-being over time. Unfortunately, academics, infrastructure, psychology, social and religious backgrounds, socioeconomic level, ethnicity, and others prevent many from participating in or benefiting from sports. Aim: This study examines whether male and female tertiary students in Mindanao, Philippines, face different impediments to sports participation. 638 respondents answered the survey questionnaire for the barriers to sports participation. The researcher employed a stratified sampling to identify the respondents from the selected regions in Mindanao. The study's findings revealed no significant differences in the social and religious barriers, university-related, academic, and overall barriers among male and female tertiary students. There is, however, a significant difference in the mean of psychological barriers to sports participation between male and female tertiary students. This study shows that male and female students face similar challenges in these areas. However, psychological barriers to sports participation differ significantly. The study found significant psychological barrier score differences between male and female tertiary students. This shows that psychological disorders may influence one gender more than the other, impairing their capacity for physical activity. In conclusion, male and female tertiary students face similar challenges in numerous areas, but the psychological gap highlights the need for more study and particular assistance.