Physical and sports education as a means of forming a relationship to lifelong physical activity and health

The aim of the study presents and points out the importance of including physical and sport education in movement regime of pupils as a mean involved in forming the relationship to lifelong physical activity. The research sample consisted of n=726 pupils in Slovakia, of which 378 girls in age (x) 17.5±1.4 years (body height (x) 166.4±3.6 cm, body weight (x) 61.9±4.8 kg) and 348 boys in age (x) 17.9±1.2 years (body height (x) 178.9±7.9 cm, body weight (x) 63.2±5.6 kg). In terms of data collection methods in the period 2020-2021, an interrogation method was used, based on pedagogical practice. Our findings show that physical and sport education is perceived in both genders with a positive attitude, but different interests with a significant difference (p <0.01) to the detriment of girls. Demands for the quality of the subject content is (p <0.01) higher in girls. Girls prefer within the PA subject of aesthetic focus, without direct contact (p <0.01), while boys prefer dynamic and conditioning PA (p <0.01). In girls and boys, this subject belongs to those that significantly (p <0.01) form a relationship to lifelong PA as well as to health (p <0.01). In the overall movement regime of pupils, there are significant (p <0.01) differences between the genders to the detriment of girls in terms of bulk of performed PA, frequency, and intensity (p <0.01). Which is related (p <0.01) also to a worse perception of health and health problems (p <0.01). At the same time, we significantly (p <0.01) confirm that physical and sport education is one of the transformational means involved in performing PA in daily movement regime of pupils (even in the pandemic period). This project was supported by VEGA 1/0519/19.