Examining the Relationship Between Sport, Physical Activity and ’Green Attitudes’ among University Students from Different Academic Disciplines

Abstract

The United Nation’s Agenda 2030 framework highlights the role of sport in promoting sustainable development across areas such as healthy lifestyles, well-being, quality education, gender and national equality, and peaceful societies. Thus, the goals of Agenda 2030 align with the objectives of the Olympic movement. The IOC’s holistic approach was reflected not only in environmental concerns but also in the sustainability of athletes’ mental well-being during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The main objective of our research is to explore the role of green attitudes and sport in the sustainable practices of Generation Z university students from the disadvantaged Northern Great Plain region. We examined students from three clearly distinct academic disciplines: sports sciences (N=170), teacher education (excluding physical education) (N=176), and engineering-agriculture (N=170). The total sample size was 509 participants (N=509). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS Statistics 25.0. Based on the negative future outlook of Generation Z, as reflected in our first three hypotheses, we identified the phenomenon of “neutral spillover.” This is consistent with the findings of Lenzi et al. (2023), which reflect the uncertain life circumstances of today’s young university generation. A novelty of our study is the creation of the Olympic factor related to the 2024 Paris Olympics, within which we identified both “green” and “social” sub-factors. These allow us to highlight the positive “spillover” effect of global sporting events, influencing students’ sustainable attitudes toward mental well-being. This supports the idea that sport can become a tool for sustainability education, especially among younger generations. Physical and mental well-being play a crucial role in the lives of Generation Z, which underscores the relevance of our topic regardless of academic discipline, gender, or social background. Since this generation has been socialized in the digital media world, the Internet can play a central role in engaging them in eco-conscious sports events.