TY - JOUR
T1 - Mediators affecting girls' levels of physical activity outside of school
T2 - Findings from the trial of activity in adolescent girls
AU - Lytle, Leslie A.
AU - Murray, David M.
AU - Evenson, Kelly R.
AU - Moody, Jamie
AU - Pratt, Charlotte A.
AU - Metcalfe, Lauve
AU - Parra-Medina, Deborah
PY - 2009/10
Y1 - 2009/10
N2 - Background: Providing after school activities is a community level approach for reducing the decline in physical activity of girls as they reach early adolescence. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine psychosocial, environmental, and behavioral factors as potential mediators of after school physical activity in adolescent girls. Methods: We assessed objectively measured levels of physical activity occurring outside of school and potential predictors and mediators of activity in girls participating in the Trial of Activity in Adolescent Girls (TAAG). Results: We found that the TAAG intervention had a statistically significant and positive effect on out of school activity in the 2006 cohort. Self-efficacy, friends' social support, total social support, and difficulty getting to and from community activities mediated the level of moderate to vigorous physical activity in girls. Conclusions: Parents, communities, and schools should provide and enhance opportunities outside of the school day for adolescents to be active. Reducing transportation barriers and enlisting social support appear to be key.
AB - Background: Providing after school activities is a community level approach for reducing the decline in physical activity of girls as they reach early adolescence. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine psychosocial, environmental, and behavioral factors as potential mediators of after school physical activity in adolescent girls. Methods: We assessed objectively measured levels of physical activity occurring outside of school and potential predictors and mediators of activity in girls participating in the Trial of Activity in Adolescent Girls (TAAG). Results: We found that the TAAG intervention had a statistically significant and positive effect on out of school activity in the 2006 cohort. Self-efficacy, friends' social support, total social support, and difficulty getting to and from community activities mediated the level of moderate to vigorous physical activity in girls. Conclusions: Parents, communities, and schools should provide and enhance opportunities outside of the school day for adolescents to be active. Reducing transportation barriers and enlisting social support appear to be key.
KW - Adolescent girls
KW - After school physical activity
KW - Mediators of physical activity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=73349122591&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=73349122591&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s12160-009-9127-2
DO - 10.1007/s12160-009-9127-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 20012810
AN - SCOPUS:73349122591
VL - 38
SP - 124
EP - 136
JO - Annals of Behavioral Medicine
JF - Annals of Behavioral Medicine
SN - 0883-6612
IS - 2
ER -