Exploring participant characteristics in an assessment of changes in psychosocial outcomes in a physical activity-based positive youth development programme for girls

Abstract

Girls on the Run (GOTR) is an after school programme for girls in third through fifth grades which utilises a physical activity-based positive youth development (PA PYD) curriculum and culminates with training completing a 5 K run. Unfortunately, little research has explored how individual characteristics of girls are associated with changes that align with the curriculum. We conducted two studies to explore change in GOTR outcomes and how individual participant characteristics associate with these changes. Study 1 (N = 140) tested an instrument to measure physical self-worth, perceptions of physical competence, and emotional self-efficacy at pre- and post-programme and autonomy support at post-programme in a sample of 7–11-year-old participants. This study provided support for the measurement instrument in the sample of young girls and found that increases in perceived physical competence and physical self-worth were predicted by autonomy support perceptions. Study 2 (N = 249) used the same instrument and procedures with participants from all teams in the Puget Sound Council. In the second study a cluster analysis was used to identify a four-profile solution using pre-programme scores on the outcome measures (e.g. low starters, high physical self-worth, high starters, and low physical self-worth). Chi-square analyses revealed significant differences in various participant characteristics across profiles. Differences in change emerged across profiles in outcome variables, with the low starting group experiencing the greatest gains across the season. Findings demonstrated adaptive changes in participants of GOTR, especially for those participants who started with low scores on the outcomes measured.