Examination of the relationship between secondary school students' attitudes towards sports activities and their perceived stress

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between secondary school students' participation in sports activities and their perceived stress levels. The population of the study, conducted using a correlational survey model, consisted of 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students enrolled in public secondary schools affiliated with the Çermik District National Education Directorate in Diyarbakır Province during the 2024-2025 spring semester. The study sample consisted of 570 individuals, including 371 females and 199 males, selected using convenience sampling from this population. Data were collected using the "Personal Information Form," "Sports Activity Orientation Scale," and "Perceived Stress Scale." Statistical analyses of the data were conducted using independent samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation tests. When the findings were examined, significant differences were found in the variables of gender, age, participation in sports, participation in school activities, and being a licensed athlete in terms of information seeking and overall orientation toward sports. In the stress dimension, significant differences were found in the stress discomfort perception and perceived stress variables in terms of gender; in the insufficient self-efficacy dimension, significant differences were found in the school success and licensed athlete variables. In the results of the relationship between sports orientation and perceived stress, low-level significant negative relationships were found between perceived low self-efficacy and total scores for socialization, emotion seeking, and perceived stress. It was also found that there were low-level significant negative relationships between socialization and total perceived stress scores (p<0.05).