HEALTH PROMOTING BEHAVIOR AND SPORT

An analysis of health promoting behaviors in the Czech adult population - sporting (n = 272) and non-sporting (n = 128) - and a comparison with German (n = 400) and Russian (n = 400) adults is presented in this article. In the investigation a questionnaire was employed called 'Sport, Health and Body Concepts in Central and Eastern Europe' which included mostly closed questions requiring answers on a Lickert type scale. Sporting adults were found to be more satisfied with their personal well-being, their health and bodies, they suffer less from psychosomatic difficulties (restless sleep, headache, backache, digestion problems, easily feeling weary) and their attitudes to health were more mature (healthier way of living, more regular visits to the physician, smoking less often, greater care of health, better condition and appearance).