The recreational preferences of university students in Taiwan

In Taiwan, people are gradually becoming aware of the importance of participating in recreational sports and how participation affects their lives. This study determined the extent to which Taiwanese university students participate in recreational sports, the extent to which Taiwanese university students are satisfied with the recreational sports courses available in their schools, and their opinions/perceptions about the need for campus recreation centers.;A survey instrument developed by the researcher was used to collect data from a random sample of 394 Taiwanese university students. A checklist format and a five-point Likert scale were used to measure respondents' attitudes toward recreational sports and their opinions/perceptions about the need for campus recreation centers.;Respondents reported that they participated in recreational sports about once a week, with walking being the most popular choice. Physical health was considered the most common reason for which respondents participated in recreational sports and took recreational sports courses. Most respondents thought that some modifications should be made in the recreational sports courses offered in their schools. Most respondents had already completed sports courses in volleyball and basketball, and planed to take courses in tennis, bowling, and swimming in the future.;Computation of t tests revealed that gender significantly influenced respondents' levels of participation in recreational sports, their preferred recreational sports, and their primary reasons for participating in recreational sports. Additionally, there was a significant correlation between respondents, levels of participation in recreational sports and their enjoyment of and satisfaction with recreational sports courses.;Finally, respondents expressed neither great satisfaction nor dissatisfaction with the recreational sports courses offered in their schools. Most respondents agreed that their schools should have campus recreation centers, but they had no strong opinions regarding opening them to the public, paying membership fees, or offering courses to the public.