PhD, Associate Professor I. V. Gordeeva
Ural State University of Economics, Ekaterinburg

Objective of the study is to examine the dynamics of college students' participation in sports throughout their studies and to analyze the reasons for the decline in physical activity.
Methods and structure of the study. The study, which lasted throughout the 2024-2025 academic year, involved 1-3rd year students of the Ural State University of Economics from all specialities and fields of study. The survey was conducted anonymously using the Yandex platform and through personal interviews with students. The questionnaire was divided into three sections: attitudes towards sports outside of school; personal participation in such activities; reasons for not wanting to participate in sports. A total of 856 people were surveyed: 352 1st-year students, 265 2nd-year students, and 239 3rd-year students.
Results and conclusions. The study shows that most students (78%) have a generally positive attitude towards extracurricular sports activities, considering them to be one of the components of a healthy lifestyle, with the number of respondents holding this view remaining virtually unchanged over the three years of study. At the same time, there was a gradual decline in the actual number of students involved in sports activities from the moment they enrolled in the educational institution until the completion of their studies, with this negative trend being more pronounced among female students. Among the reasons for the decline in interest in sports, the most common were lack of desire (decreased internal motivation), heavy academic workload (young women cited this reason twice as often as young men), and preference for other forms of active leisure (theatre studios, dancing, etc.). In addition, 16% of young men cited a focus on virtual sports competitions (esports) as a reason.

Keywords: students, physical activity, dynamics, motivation, questionnaire.

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