{"id":210,"date":"2005-09-09T16:01:20","date_gmt":"2005-09-09T21:01:20","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2015-03-24T11:49:02","modified_gmt":"2015-03-24T16:49:02","slug":"a-study-of-sports-consciousness-of-residents-in-taiwan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/a-study-of-sports-consciousness-of-residents-in-taiwan\/","title":{"rendered":"A Study of Sports Consciousness of Residents in Taiwan"},"content":{"rendered":"
Submitted by: Chi-Wen Chen & Jen-Min Huang<\/div>\n

Introduction <\/strong><\/p>\n

Since January 1, 2001, Labor Standards Law (2000) has been taken effect officially in Taiwan. Under the law, there are two-day weekend and the labor hours are reduced to 84 hours for two weeks. As a result, the public is going to enjoy 144 days of vacation per year. The time for leisure and recreation has increased substantially. In addition, GNP in Taiwan reached $12,941 in US dollars (Executive Yuan, 2001). As shown in Table 1, Taiwanese residents have not only the wealth but also the time when the Physical Labor Datum Law took effect.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Table<\/a><\/p>\n

Table 1<\/strong> GNP per resident in Taiwan<\/strong> \uff08<\/strong> US dollars<\/strong> \uff09<\/strong><\/p>\n

Moreover, Gross National Product has reached a total of $2,883 hundred million (Executive Yuan, 2002a) which rose in rank to the developed country. As far as for the employment structure, the publication of Directorate General of Budget Accounting and Statistics, R. O. C. Taiwan Region Human Resources Statistic Outcome (Executive Yuan, 2002b), reported that service industry occupied 57.28% surpassing the total of industry of agriculture and fishery. A separate statistic, Report on the Survey of Family Income & Expenditure in Taiwan Area of the Republic China (Executive Yuan, 2000b) , pointed out that consumers expanded 13.51% of the income on entertainment, education, and culture service in 2000. All of the above has reflected the living qualities of Taiwanese residents.<\/p>\n

In addition, based on a profile of Taiwanese public use of the time, an Investigation of Taiwan Region Social Development Tendency (Executive Yuan, 2000a) the average time to spend on physiology needs (sleep, dining, cleaning, dressing and makeup) was 10 hours and 54 minutes in April and May in 2000. It was 10 minutes higher than in 1994 and 21 minutes higher than 1987. On the other hand, restraint time, such as work, school, commute, housework and shopping, was seven hours and one minute. It was 35 and 27 minutes lower than in 1987 and 1994. However, Taiwanese had an average of 6 hours and five minutes in free time, which was 15 and 17 minutes higher than in 1987 and 1994. This has proved that Taiwanese residents began to pay more attention to promote a better living quality. Comparing to Japan, time for physiology needs was 22 minutes shorter whereas restrain and free time was 17 minutes and 4 minutes higher than Taiwan since Japanese residents has average of one hour less sleep and 22 minutes more in housework. In Australia and Canada, restraint time was 14 and 23 minutes more than in Taiwan; however, these two countries had an average of one hour of working time, but the housework and shopping was one hour 48 minutes and one hour and 25 minutes higher shown in Chart 1<\/p>\n

Chart 1 An average living hour of residents of age 15 and above <\/strong><\/p>\n

Time: hour and minute<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nPhysiology need<\/td>\nRestrain time<\/td>\nFreeTime<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nSleep<\/td>\n<\/td>\nwork<\/td>\nHousework and shopping<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Republic of China \uff08 2000 \uff09<\/td>\n10.54<\/td>\n8.42<\/td>\n7.01<\/td>\n4.09<\/td>\n1.47<\/td>\n6.05<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Japan \uff08 1996 \uff09<\/td>\n10.32<\/td>\n7.44<\/td>\n7.18<\/td>\n4.10<\/td>\n2.09<\/td>\n6.09<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Australia \uff08 1997 \uff09<\/td>\n10.58<\/td>\n8.36<\/td>\n7.15<\/td>\n2.53<\/td>\n3.35<\/td>\n5.47<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Canada \uff08 1998 \uff09<\/td>\n10.24<\/td>\n8.06<\/td>\n7.24<\/td>\n3.18<\/td>\n3.12<\/td>\n6.12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Source: An Investigation of Taiwan Region Social Development Tendency, Directorate General of Budget Accounting and Statistics, Executive Yuan, R. O. C (2000a). Taipei: Directorate General of Budget Accounting and Statistics, Executive Yuan, R. O. C<\/p>\n

The investigation also indicated 72.2% of Taiwanese residents of age 15 and higher reported participating in physical activities during leisure time which was a little lower than 74.5% in Japan. More, the participation rate for physical activity was 74.2% in male and 70.3% in female. Three common forms of physical activities practiced by 51.7% of Taiwanese residents were jogging, walking, and quick walking. 21.6% exercised everyday and 58.4% reported doing the above activities weekly. The next common physical activities were mountain climbing and hiking about 32.6%. Of which, only 4.4% reported participating daily and 26% weekly. Depending on age, regular exercise and age had an opposite trend in Taiwanese residents. 85.8% and 48.4% of Taiwanese residents age 65 and above reported jogging, walking, and quick walking as well as mountain climbing and hiking. However, the rate dropped to 50% to 20% for age of 50 and under. This has indicated the need to form a habit of regular and sustained physical exercise.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, many research and studies related to exercise participation or recreation pointed out that there were only a small number of Taiwanese residents participating in regular exercise. For example, Executive Yuan Physical Education council published a study in May 1999 (Chen & Yan, 1999) indicated there were very few residents participated in regular physical activities even though there were over 90% of the people reported engaging in recreational activities. School education and public policy needed to improve and cultivate the public\u2019s knowledge in utilizing time for physical activities especially Taiwanese society was generally work oriented.<\/p>\n

Studies related in desire in physical activities, Liu and Wang (1999) believed residential area, gender, age, occupation, and education were related to types of physical activities, time, and location. The most desired physical activities were badminton, table tennis, bowling, jogging, and cycling whereas the most engaged activities were badminton, swimming, jogging, basketball, mountain climbing, billiards, bowling, quick walking, and folk dancing. Time for participating physical activities was before eight am and after six pm and locations were community park, riverside park, school stadium or sports ground, and at home.<\/p>\n

Similar research and studies reflected that behavior, desire, and conscious of Taiwanese resident\u2019s physical activities were limited to facilities and locations, which should be further researched by the department of physical education. Past research pointed out the relations among desire and conscious of physical activities, age, gender, economic status, and recreation skills needed to be studied. How to evaluate and understand the above relations so results can be applied practically is valuable to academic research as well as policy making in the government.<\/p>\n

The purpose of the research is to investigate the preferences, routines, conscious and opinion of Taiwanese residents in physical activities related to government policy in developing physical education and recreation activities.<\/p>\n

The scope of the research included 25 counties and cities in Taiwan (Jilong city, Taipei county, Taoyuan county, Yilan county, Hsinchu city, Hsinchu county, Taichung city, Taichung county, Mioli county, Zhanghua county, Nantou county, Yunlin county, Jiayi city, Jiayi county, Tainan city, Tainan county, Kaoxiong county, Pintung county, Penghu county, Taidong county, Hualien county, Taipei city, Kaoxiong city, Jinmen county, and Lianjiang county. Subjects are Taiwanese residents age 15 and above with physical capacity. The study also utilized computer-assisted telephone interviewing system to conduct interviews.<\/p>\n

Literature Review<\/p>\n

Physical Activity Consciousness <\/strong><\/p>\n

French philosopher, mathematician, and physicist, Rene Descartes, said \u201cCogito Ergo Sum \u2013 Thinking Accounts For Being\u201d. Therefore, the meaning of consciousness speaks for itself.<\/p>\n

Hobson (1994), a professor at Harvard Medical School, indicated consciousness is the brain becomes aware of certain information. The individual consciousness changes its focus or goes into different levels when the brain pays attention to or experiences different things at the time. There are six levels of consciousness: unconsciousness, subconsciousness, marginal consciousness, focal consciousness, unconsciousness, and pre-conscious (Bernstein, Clarke-Stewart, Roy, Srull & Wickens, 1994).<\/p>\n