Part I: Why Do Children and Young People Drop Out of Sport? Development and Initial Validation of the Youth Sport Dropout Questionnaire

Despite the widespread health benefits of physical activity, globally, four out of five adolescents are insufficiently active. Sport participation, a key vehicle for physical activity, diminishes by as much as 80% as children get older. To date, no theoretically grounded, validated research measure of dropout exists. In this two-paper series, we attempt to resolve this issue via the development, initial validation, and application of the Youth Sport Dropout Questionnaire. In the current paper—Part I—we used the COM-B framework to design and initially validate the Youth Sport Dropout Questionnaire. Three sequential studies were conducted. Study 1 includes a review of the existing literature, an expert consultation, and participant focus groups. Study 1 generated 49 reasons for youth sport dropout. Study 2 explored the functionality of the 49 items in a sample of 479 students. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 28-item four-factor solution. Study 3 tested the dimensionality and reliability of scale in a sample of 648 students from seven European countries. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a final 16-item, four-factor solution, suggesting that reasons for dropout behavior were captured by capability (C), opportunity (O), motivation (M) with the important new addition of injury (I). This initial validation supports the YSDQ as a rigorous research tool to capture the reasons underpinning youth sport dropout behavior.