Abstract
BackgroundMore than half of U.S. high-school students do not meet the moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) 5 hours per week recommendation. The purpose of this study was to determine how individual dimensions (motivation and planning) mediate the relationship of social context with physical activity by integrating available measures of personal characteristic including internal/external motivations (derived from Self-Determination Theory -SDT]) for MVPA, MVPA planning, peer MVPA, and parental support to better understand adolescent MVPA.MethodsSurvey responses of a nationally representative cohort of 11th graders (N = 2439) in the NEXT Generation Health Study were analyzed with structural equation modeling.ResultsAdolescent MVPA was directly, significantly associated with MVPA planning (β = 0.17), peer MVPA (β = 0.21), and internal motivation (β = 0.50). Internal motivation was associated with peer MVPA (β = 0.31), parental support for MVPA (β = 0.16), and external motivation (β = 0.40). A significant relation between parental support and external motivation (β = 0.31) was also found.ConclusionsAdolescents with higher internal motivation and more active friends were more likely to engage in MVPA. The results are consistent with SDT and suggest that planning is an important construct for adolescent MVPA.
Highlights
More than half of U.S high-school students do not meet the moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) 5 hours per week recommendation
Meeting this recommendation was more prevalent among males (61.8%) than females (37.6%), and among students with parents who had bachelors or higher degrees (57.6%) than those with parents who had less than high school diploma (41.2%), high school diploma (47.6%), and some college or similar degree (46.6%)
Adolescents who plan for MVPA are more likely to engage in MVPA, have greater internal motivation, and more active friends are more likely to engage in MVPA
Summary
More than half of U.S high-school students do not meet the moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) 5 hours per week recommendation. The purpose of this study was to determine how individual dimensions (motivation and planning) mediate the relationship of social context with physical activity by integrating available measures of personal characteristic including internal/external motivations (derived from Self-Determination Theory -SDT]) for MVPA, MVPA planning, peer MVPA, and parental support to better understand adolescent MVPA. The benefits of regular physical activity (PA) for adolescents include enhanced physical, psychological/mental, and social well-being [1,2]. In 2011 more than half of US highschool students engaged in PA less than 60 minutes/day on 5 or more days a week [3], the threshold in adolescence for decreasing the odds of obesity in subsequent adulthood [4]. Identifying and understanding determinants of PA are prerequisites for successfully promoting PA engagement among adolescents
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