Patterns of Physical and Sedentary Activity in Adolescents

Abstract

0516 In recent years, it has been reported that only one-half of young people regularly participate in physical activity, and participation declines as age declines. However, there is little empirical data as to why this might occur, especially in the areas of race and gender. PURPOSE: (a) to investigate the amount of physical and sedentary activity that adolescents participated in across gender and race, (b) to investigate adolescents? attractions to physical activity, and (c) to investigate the relationship between the environment and physical and sedentary activity participation. METHODS: Participants were 1174 adolescents aged between 12 and 19 years from Midwest public and private high schools. A self-report questionnaire (Self- Administered Physical Activity Checklist, Sallis, 1996) was used to measure minutes of physical and sedentary activity, and to obtain a measure of intensity. Children?s Attraction to Physical Activity (CAPA) scale was used to assess interest in physical activity. The Perceived Environments Related to Physical Activity Scale was used to establish correlations between physical and sedentary activity and perceived environment. RESULTS: Two separate 2 (gender) × 2 (race) × 3 (age) MANOVA were conducted on physical activity and attraction to physical activity subscales. Results from the physical activity analyses indicated significant main effects for gender (minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, energy expenditure), race (minutes of sedentary activity) and age (energy expenditure). Results regarding the attraction toward physical activity participation indicated significant main effects for gender (liking of games and sport, fun of physical exertion), age (liking of games and sport, fun of physical exertion), and race (vigorous physical activity, liking for games and sport, fun of physical exertion). Significant positive correlations existed between the environment and physical activity and convenient facilities for adolescents 15–16 years old, and females. Minutes of sedentary activity was negatively correlated with convenient facilities for both females and males, and also negatively correlated with the home environment for females. CONCLUSION: Differences in attractions to physical activity and perceived environment may assist practitioners and researchers to develop and implement specific activity interventions for adolescents while taking into account gender and race differences.