Motivational factors mediating the association between acculturation and participation in sport among young Turkish and Moroccan women in the Netherlands

ObjectiveAcculturation of migrant women has been associated with increased participation in physical activity, including participation in sport. We assessed which motivational factors mediate this association among Turkish and Moroccan migrant women in the Netherlands.MethodsData were available from a cross-sectional study conducted in 2003–2004, on health-related behavior among Turkish and Moroccan ethnic groups in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. In total, we included 258 Turkish and 170 Moroccan women (aged 15–30) who participated in a structured interview including questions on participation in sport, acculturation (defined as ‘the level of cultural orientation towards Dutch culture’), and motivational factors including attitudes, social influences, and self-efficacy.ResultsAcculturation was strongly associated with participation in sport among Turkish women, but not among Moroccan women. Greater participation in sport among the higher acculturated Turkish women was accounted for by “culturally specific beliefs” and to a lesser extent by “perceived disadvantages” and “self-efficacy.”ConclusionThese results emphasize that in order to stimulate participation in sport among low acculturated Turkish women, the culturally specific beliefs should be taken into account when developing a culture-sensitive intervention. Further research is necessary to understand why acculturation leads to increased participation in sport in some ethnic groups and not in others.