‘Let us wear our own Goddamn clothes’: Students’ perceptions of school uniform as a barrier to physical activity and physical education participation in schools

The aim of this study was to examine students’ views on the extent to which uniforms are a barrier to physical activity (PA) and physical education (PE) participation in Irish secondary schools. Students (N = 1439; age = 14.7, SD = 1.5; 58.2% female) from a purposive sample of 18 secondary schools completed an online survey. A hierarchical loglinear analysis was used to examine the relationship between gender, age, and perception of uniform as a barrier. A qualitative content analysis of open-ended survey items was used to capture deeper insights and contextual understanding. Uniforms were perceived to be a barrier for over half of students in PE lessons (54.5%) and outside of PE lessons (58.1%). Approximately half (52.2%) were allowed to wear a PE kit to school on days with a timetabled PE lesson, and this was more evident in mixed-gender schools (65.4%) than in boys’ (28.7%) or girls’ (29.6%) schools (p < .001). Statistically significant three-way interactions were found between gender, school stage, and permission to wear PE kit (p < .001). A significant two-way effect was found between uniform as a barrier in PE lessons and school stage (p < .001). Notably, 30% of students’ recommendations for improving their general experience of PE referenced school uniform design and being allowed to wear PE kit all day, eliminating the need to use changing rooms. Modifying uniform policies to allow for more comfortable and practical attire could enhance PA levels and improve students’ overall PE experience.