The effect of university students' participation levels in physical activities on their self-efficacy in preventing substance abuse

The substance use problem, which has reached serious dimensions worldwide and continues to decrease in terms of the age of first use, poses a significant risk to societies. This study aims to examine how the levels of participation in physical activities among university students affect their self-efficacy in preventing substance addiction, and whether this effect differs according to certain variables. The secondary aim of the study is to recognize the target group and contribute to the development of substance addiction prevention programs with the findings of the study. In this study, the relational screening method, one of the general survey models, was employed. The population of the research consists of students from the Faculty of Sports Sciences at Mardin Artuklu University. The sample size, determined by G*Power analysis, was found to be 176 participants, representing the population. In this context, the population of the Faculty of Sports Sciences at Mardin Artuklu University during the 2023-2024 academic year consists of 658 students, and the study was conducted with 248 participants. The research data were analyzed using the SPSS 25.0 program. The normality analysis of the data indicated that the data followed a normal distribution. To display the data, categorical variables were described in terms of frequency and percentage. To determine differences between categories, the t-test was used for binary groups, the ANOVA test was applied for multiple groups, and post hoc tests were used to identify the source of the differences. The results are presented in tabular form. Additionally, Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to determine relationships between the scales, with a significance level of (p<.05) set for all tests. It was determined that the average physical activity level score of the students participating in the study from the Faculty of Sports Sciences was (4715±2168 MET-min/week), indicating that they had an adequate level of physical activity. Additionally, their self-efficacy perception in preventing substance addiction was found to be quite high, with an average score of (4.39±0.683). It was also determined that the physical activity levels were higher among male students, those aged 18-20, graduates of sports high schools, those who engage in regular exercise, licensed athletes, and students studying in the departments of coaching and sports management. It was found that the self-efficacy in preventing substance addiction of students who graduated from vocational high schools and sports high schools increased as the duration of their physical activity increased. Additionally, students from lower-income groups, those who engage in regular exercise, and licensed athletes were found to have higher self-efficacy in preventing substance addiction. A low positive and significant relationship was identified between students' physical activity levels and their self-efficacy in preventing substance addiction. Furthermore, it was determined that the physical activity scale positively affected self-efficacy in preventing substance addiction by 3.4%. It is suggested that students' engagement in sports and their long-term involvement in physical activities may contribute to an increase in their self-efficacy for preventing substance addiction.