Change In Physical Activity and Self-efficacy Following the Best Foot Forward Program

Abstract

The Best Foot Forward (BFF) program was created to improve health-related behaviors. Physical activity self-efficacy (PASE) has been shown as an important factor related to physical activity (PA) in children. However, it is unknown if participation in the BFF program will increase PASE and PA behavior. PURPOSE: To examine change in PASE and subjectively-assessed PA following participation in the BFF program. METHODS: Seventy-five 4th grade students (mean±s.d: 10.1±0.4 yrs; 37 girls, 38 boys) from Eaton Rapids, Michigan were enrolled in the BFF program. Participants met weekly for one hour before school for 9 weeks. Each week participants were taught a lesson on physical activity and spent 20 minutes participating in physically active games in the gymnasium. Pre- and post-test evaluation were used to assess PASE, PA, and anthropometrics (height, weight) for each participant. Participants answered 4 questions on PASE asking how sure they felt that they could participate in 60 minutes of physical activity for 1–2 days, 3–4 days, 5–6 days, and 7 days. Participants rated their confidence in their ability to complete 60 minutes of MVPA over a 7-day period. A 5-point scale of different size circles ranging from small (“not sure”) to large (“very sure”) was used for each question. A composite score was calculated based on their responses. PA was assessed using a single question from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). Participants were asked on how many of the previous 7 days did they participate in at least 60 minutes of PA. A paired-samples t-test was used to compare anthropometrics, PASE, and PA from Weeks 1 and 9. RESULTS: Due to missing data, 16 participants were excluded from analysis. BMI was not significantly different between Week 1 (20.3±4.6 kg/m2) and Week 9 (20.4±4.6) (p>0.05). PASE significantly increased from Weeks 1 to 9 (3.3±1.3 vs. 3.7±1.2; p<0.05). PA also significantly increased from Week 1 to Week 9 (4.3± 2.0 vs. 5.3±1.9; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: PASE and PA improved following the BFF program. Receiving weekly lessons during the BFF program may have encouraged children’s belief in their ability to perform physical activity outside of the program. Future research should examine the relationships between PASE and objectively measured physical activity in children. MDCH 20142061–00