Impact of Cooperative Games on Intention to Physical Activity, Self-Esteem and Perceived Competence in Obese Adolescents

Introduction: The significant impact of play and physical activity (PA) on both physical and mental well-being underscores the importance of enhancing self-esteem and competence in obese adolescents.Objective: The purpose of current study was to investigate and evaluate the effectiveness of cooperative games in fostering intention to PA, self-esteem and perceived competence among obese adolescents.Methods: A quasi-experimental design utilizing a pretest-posttest approach was employed. The sample consisted of 86 obese adolescents, aged 13 to 16 years, who were divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group engaged in the cooperative games in physical education (PE) over a period of 16 weeks. Standardized questionnaires were employed to assess the research variables, and the data were analyzed using ANCOVA.Results: The findings revealed that individuals in the intervention group demonstrated a significant enhancement in intention to PA (F = 9.847, P < 0.001), self-esteem (F = 12.859, P < 0.001) and perceived competence (F = 19.850, P < 0.001) from the pretest to the posttest. In contrast, the control group did not show any significant changes.Conclusion: The findings of this study can be implied as a foundation for developing educational interventions within school settings, particularly in PE.