Abstract
ObjectiveLittle is known about the existence of independent location- or context specific forms of physical activity. This study sought to identify location-specific forms of physical activity in a sample of 9 and 15 years-olds Norwegian boys and girls, and examined their associations to psycho-social and environmental factors.MethodsA cross-sectional study of 9 and 15-year-olds (N = 760; 379 boys and 381 girls) was conducted in which participants responded to a computer-based questionnaire (PEACH) tapping potentially location specific forms of physical activity as well as psycho-social and environmental correlates.ResultsExploratory factor analysis indicated that the nine and fifteen year-olds self-reported their physical activity as located in three separate and specific contexts: a) school commuting, b) informal games play at school and c) organized sport, structured exercise and games play in leisure time. Dependent of location, psycho-social and environmental correlates explained between 15 and 55 percent of the variance in physical activity. The impact of peer support, enjoyment and perceived competence in physical activity generalized across the three locations. Enjoyment of physical education classes, parental support and teacher support, in contrast, confined to particular location-specific forms of physical activity. Generally, behavioural beliefs and environmental factors represented marginal correlates of all location-specific forms of activity.ConclusionYoung peoples' physical activity was identified as taking place in multiply genuine locations, and the psychosocial correlates of their physical activity seem to some extent to be location specific. Results may inform intervention efforts suggesting that targeting specific sets of psycho-social factors may prove efficient across physical activity locations, gender and age groups. Others, in contrast may prove effective in facilitating location specific physical activity, in which age may come to moderate the efficiency of intervention efforts.
Highlights
Previous research has shown that influences on young peoples' physical activity are multi-factorial
Further inspection of the interaction terms by means of the directions of beta weights indicated that physical activity enjoyment and peer support of physical activity associated more strongly with informal games play at school among the nine year olds than among the fifteen year olds
We identified location specific forms of physical activity among nine and fifteen year old boys and girls
Summary
Previous research has shown that influences on young peoples' physical activity are multi-factorial. Young peoples' capability beliefs, affect outcome expectations or behavioural beliefs, parental, peer, teacher/school as well as the social and physical environmental influences impact on young peoples' physical activity [1,2]. It is widely accepted that perceived competence and enjoyment influence young peoples' physical activity, and social support from family and peers have been identified as positive correlates [3]. Behavioural beliefs such as outcome expectancies of physical activity have, been less well researched and existing evidence on their influence are equivocal [4]. We know far less about the extent to which age and gender interact with psychological, social and physical environmental factors in their influence on physical activity
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