TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessing Media Access and Use Among Latina Adolescents to Inform Development of a Physical Activity Promotion Intervention Incorporating Text Messaging
AU - Mojica, Cynthia M.
AU - Parra-Medina, Deborah
AU - Yin, Zenong
AU - Akopian, David
AU - Esparza, Laura A.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (Grant R24MD005096). All coauthors received financial support (salary support) via this grant to conduct this research study.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2013 Society for Public Health Education.
PY - 2014/7/1
Y1 - 2014/7/1
N2 - Increasing physical activity (PA) during preadolescence and adolescence is critical to reversing the obesity epidemic. A recent report described the promising role of eHealth—the use of new media for purposes of health promotion—in reducing and preventing childhood obesity. This study assessed access/use of various media (cell phones, computers, gaming systems, Internet) among adolescent Latino girls and examined the relationship between PA and media access/use. A convenience sample of 110 Latino girls ages 11 to 14 was recruited from Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas and other groups. The media survey was self-administered (April-July 2010) on personal digital assistants. Of the girls, 55% reported owning a cell phone and spending 40 (SD = 4.2) hours per week talking, texting, listening to music, and browsing the Internet. Cell phone access increased significantly with age (p =.029). Compared to those with no cell phone, girls with a cell phone have greater odds of reporting more than 5 days of PA in the past week (odds ratio = 5.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1, 14) and engaging in daily physical education classes (odds ratio = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.1, 5.9). Since girls with cell phones report greater PA, cell phones may be an effective strategy for communicating with girls about engaging in PA.
AB - Increasing physical activity (PA) during preadolescence and adolescence is critical to reversing the obesity epidemic. A recent report described the promising role of eHealth—the use of new media for purposes of health promotion—in reducing and preventing childhood obesity. This study assessed access/use of various media (cell phones, computers, gaming systems, Internet) among adolescent Latino girls and examined the relationship between PA and media access/use. A convenience sample of 110 Latino girls ages 11 to 14 was recruited from Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas and other groups. The media survey was self-administered (April-July 2010) on personal digital assistants. Of the girls, 55% reported owning a cell phone and spending 40 (SD = 4.2) hours per week talking, texting, listening to music, and browsing the Internet. Cell phone access increased significantly with age (p =.029). Compared to those with no cell phone, girls with a cell phone have greater odds of reporting more than 5 days of PA in the past week (odds ratio = 5.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1, 14) and engaging in daily physical education classes (odds ratio = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.1, 5.9). Since girls with cell phones report greater PA, cell phones may be an effective strategy for communicating with girls about engaging in PA.
KW - Latino
KW - child/adolescent health
KW - chronic disease
KW - community intervention
KW - exercise
KW - minority health
KW - obesity
KW - physical activity
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U2 - 10.1177/1524839913514441
DO - 10.1177/1524839913514441
M3 - Article
C2 - 24357863
AN - SCOPUS:84907513636
VL - 15
SP - 548
EP - 555
JO - Health Promotion Practice
JF - Health Promotion Practice
SN - 1524-8399
IS - 4
ER -