Abstract
The aimto identify the barriers to engaging in physical activity that are perceived by adolescents with overweight and obesity, and to establish whether a correlation exists among the barriers they perceive and the health-oriented motivation for undertaking physical activity.Material and methodsThe study was conducted on a representative sample of 2,300 students aged 13-16 years. The data was collected through an anonymous survey. Young people were asked about their body weight and height, the barriers to physical activity and the health-related motives to engaging in it. The IOTF (International Obesity Task Force) standard by T. J. Cole was used to categorise overweight and obesity, while the PCA − Principal Component Analysis − to assess the motivation for physical activity. Logistic regression was used in the analyses of the correlations among the body weight, the level of health-oriented motivation and the occurrence of accumulated barriers to physical activity.ResultsOverweight and obesity was found in 12.4% of the respondents; more often in boys (17.8%) than in girls (7.8%). The most frequently perceived barriers to undertaking physical activity among overweight adolescents include deficiencies in energy, time and support. Three barriers (lack of energy, skills and willpower), as well as the perception of several barriers occurring simultaneously, were reported more frequently by overweight students in comparison with their peers with a normal weight. Among the health-oriented motivation for physical activity in the group of adolescents with overweight and obesity, the most important one was the need to improve health, while the least important the need to look good. The excess of body weight turn out to be an important predictor of the perception of cumulative barriers to physical activity only among adolescents with a weak motivation to undertake physical activity [OR 2.51; CI (1.43-4.42), p<0.001].ConclusionsYoung people with overweight and obesity, but with a strong health-oriented motivation, perceive barriers to physical activity similarly to their peers with a normal weight. Thus, motivation is a key element shaping the physical activity of overweight and obese young people by changing their perception of the barriers. In overcoming the barriers to physical activity in obese adolescents, one should aim to comprehensively reduce body weight and to support health-oriented motivation.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.