Predicting Social Responsibility and Belonging in Urban After-School Physical Activity Programs with Underserved Children

Purpose: The purpose of this cross sectional study was to predict feelings of belonging and social responsibility based on the motivational climate perceptions and contingent self-worth of children participating in urban after-school physical activity programs. Method: Three-hundred and four elementary school students from a major Midwestern city participated. Results: Based on multiple regression analyses we predicted 39% of the variance in feelings of belonging largely due to perceptions of leadership emotional support and task climate and 31% of the variance in feelings of social responsibility largely due to perceptions of a caring climate. Conclusions: Our findings support the importance of after school physical activity programs, which appear to provide nurturing environments that may contribute to feelings of belonging and social responsibility.