Effect of Social Environment on Sports Participation of University Students: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Abstract

Sports participation among university students is shaped by a complex set of social, cultural, institutional, and economic forces. This cross-sectional survey investigated the influence of eight social environment dimensions on sports participation among students at the University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. A purposive stratified sample of 100 students (62% male, 38% female; M age = 22.4 years, SD = 2.7; 63% registered athletes, 37% non-athletes) completed a 22-item expert-validated structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics in SPSS Version 28.0 (IBM Corp., 2021). Teammate support (86.5%), peer motivational influence (83.0%), coach support (81.5%), and perceived community importance of sport (86.0%) were the strongest social facilitators of participation. Awareness of sport health benefits was near-universal (92.7%). Social media supported skill development for 79.3% of respondents. Financial constraints constituted the primary structural barrier, reported as limiting by 54.0% of participants. Findings are interpreted through Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT; Bandura, 1986), and implications for sport policy and student well-being in Pakistani higher education are discussed.