Influence of self-concept on exercise behaviour of academic staff of some selected universities in Southwest Nigeria

Self-concept has been consistently considered as a significant predictor of exercise behaviours and physical activity participation among people. This study examined the influence of self-concept on physical exercise participation among academic staff of some selected Universities in the Southwest Nigeria. An institutional-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from September 2023 through February 2024 to investigate the population of 3,199 academic staff of some selected Universities in the Southwest Nigeria. The sample of the study comprised 1800 participants selected through a proportionate sampling. A questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. Data were collected from 1536 respondents on the influence of self-concept and physical exercise participation scale (r-~= 0.63). Results indicated significant positive relationship (R = 0.49; p < 0.05) among the participants and contributed 24.4% to the variance of academic staff exercise behaviour. Self-concept variables predicted exercise behaviour (p < 0.05) in sport morality, social-self, self-confidence and accommodation of conflicts while family sport was not significant. It was concluded that self-concept of the academic staff influences participation in physical exercise. The study recommended that university authorities should preserve the recreational quality of the institutions and their enjoyment value for academic staff.