What Keeps Them Physically Active? Predicting Physical Activity, Motor Competence, Health-Related Fitness, and Perceived Competence in Irish Adolescents after the Transition from Primary to Second-Level School.

Una Britton,Sarahjane Belton,Johann Issartel,Jennifer Symonds

doi:10.3390/ijerph17082874

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) decreases with age. The school transition is noted for significant changes in PA behaviour. Motor competence (MC), health-related fitness (HRF), and perceived competence (PC) are generally positively associated with PA. The aim of this study was to examine longitudinal cross-lagged relationships between PA, MC, HRF, and PC across the school transition from final year of primary school to first year of second-level school in Irish youth. PA (accelerometery), object-control and locomotor MC (TGMD-III), PC (perceived athletic competence subscale of the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents), and HRF (20 m shuttle run, horizontal jump, vertical jump, push-ups, curl-ups) were measured in final year of primary school (6th class) and first year of second-level school (1st year). In the sixth class, 261 participants (53% female; mean age 12.22 ± 0.48 years) were tested. In first year, 291 participants (48% female; mean age: 13.20 ± 0.39 years) were tested. In total, 220 participants were involved in the study at both timepoints. Cross-lagged regression in AMOS23, using full information maximum likelihood estimation, was conducted to test reciprocal and predictive pathways between variables. The full cross-lagged model showed acceptable fit (χ2 = 69.12, df = 8, p < 0.01, NFI = 0.93, CFI = 0.94). HRF was the strongest predictor of future PA (β = 0.353), and also predicted PC (β = 0.336) and MC (β = 0.163). Object-control MC predicted future PA (β = 0.192). Reciprocal relationships existed between object-control MC and PA, and between object-control MC and PC. HRF was the strongest predictor of PA. Object-control MC also predicted PA. PA promotion strategies should target the development of HRF and object-control MC in primary school to reduce the decline in PA frequently observed after the school transition.

Highlights

Physical activity (PA) is associated with positive health outcomes in youth [1,2], but globally there is a trend for decreasing PA with age [1,3,4]
A significant finding from this research is the role of health-related fitness (HRF) in predicting future PA, perceived athletic competence (PAC) and Motor competence (MC)
It is more likely that the perceived value of MC and PA within the female peer group impacts on the desire of some female adolescents to appear competent in what is often perceived as a male environment [85]. This is the first study to explore the predictive pathways between all of the variables depicted in Stodden et al.’s (2008) [13] model across the school transition

Summary

Introduction

Physical activity (PA) is associated with positive health outcomes in youth [1,2], but globally there is a trend for decreasing PA with age [1,3,4]. Despite recognition of the importance of PA, and subsequent public health initiatives targeting the problem of youth physical inactivity, there is little to suggest this decline in PA is being reversed. A key period where substantial changes in PA are often reported is the transition from primary to second-level school [4,5]. In Irish youth, students in second-level school have been found to be significantly less active than their primary school. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 2874; doi:10.3390/ijerph17082874 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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