Self-efficacy Moderates The Effect Of Peer Social Support On Physical Activity In Rural School Children

Abstract

In recent years, childhood obesity has become an epidemic in the United States, especially in the rural southeast. Low levels of physical activity (PA), especially vigorous physical activity (VPA; > 6 METs), and high levels of time spent in sedentary behaviors (e.g., television watching) contribute to increases in childhood obesity. In order to increase physical activity levels in children, it is essential to examine psychosocial correlates of physical activity such as self efficacy (SE) and social support (SS) for PA. PURPOSE: To investigate the influence of self efficacy and social support on VPA in 104 rural elementary school children (48 male, 56 female). METHODS: Participants completed a survey packet which included a seven day physical activity recall, and questions to assess SE, and SS. Anthropometric measurements were assessed to determine BMI. RESULTS: Results of a hierarchical regression analysis (F (5, 97) = 4.26, p < .05, R2 = .18) determined that SE for physical activity moderated the effect of SS on vigorous physical activity (β = 1.15, p < .05), after controlling for the effects of sex (ns), and BMI(β = −2.86,p<.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the amount of time spent participating in VPA is influenced by the number of friends one can identify as physically active, but only for those children with high SE for PA. Thus, interventions aimed at increasing PA in youth should focus on changing social norms for PA while simultaneously building SE for PA in individuals.