Identification and evaluation of beliefs about sport participation among South Korean university students.

To identify and evaluate salient beliefs about sport participation among South Korean university students. Total 234 undergraduate students were recruited in the main study from one university located in Seoul, South Korea. An elicitation study was conducted to identify salient beliefs about sport participation. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the effects of the elicited salient beliefs on intention to participate in sports and sport participation behavior. Four of ten salient beliefs identified from the elicitation study (i.e., "builds social relationship," "makes me tired," "takes too much time," and "friends") indirectly affected sport participation behavior through intention. The four salient beliefs may play a critical role in developing effective interventions or policies for promoting sport participation.