Peer and Family Support as Determinants of Female Participation in Sports among Trainees in Teacher Training Colleges in Kenya

The under-representation of women in sports in Kenya is a significant issue, with lower levels of participation evident in various studies. Despite this, there is a lack of research specifically addressing the role of peer support in sports participation and evaluate the role of family support in female participation in sports among trainees in teacher training colleges in Kenya. The main objective of the study was to assess the role of peer and family support in female sports participation among trainees in teacher training colleges in Kenya. The study was based on the Socio-ecological Theory. The study targeted 1 private and 19 public Teachers Training Colleges in Kenya. These colleges were organized into regions: the Rift Valley, Nyanza, Coast, Eastern, Western, Central and Nairobi. A cross-sectional survey research design was adopted to conduct the research. The study target population was 672 female participants, whereas the sample size which was calculated using the sample determination table by Adam (2020) was 279. Structured questionnaires were administered to the respondents with the assistance of trained research assistants. Data was analyzed descriptively. Results demonstrated that (42.5%) of the respondents agreed there was meaningful support from their families and peers with a mean (3.9) and S.D. (1.22). The study established that social support from family and peers S.D. (1.15) were associated with female participation in sports. It was further concluded that strong social support systems, especially from family and peers (56.0%), are essential for sustaining female participation in sports, both recreationally and professionally. The study recommended that colleges improve their support systems by inculcating stronger involvement of families in their children’s sport participation.