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Mediators Affecting Girls’ Levels of Physical Activity Outside of School: Findings from the Trial of Activity in Adolescent Girls

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background

Providing after school activities is a community level approach for reducing the decline in physical activity of girls as they reach early adolescence.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine psychosocial, environmental, and behavioral factors as potential mediators of after school physical activity in adolescent girls.

Methods

We assessed objectively measured levels of physical activity occurring outside of school and potential predictors and mediators of activity in girls participating in the Trial of Activity in Adolescent Girls (TAAG).

Results

We found that the TAAG intervention had a statistically significant and positive effect on out of school activity in the 2006 cohort. Self-efficacy, friends’ social support, total social support, and difficulty getting to and from community activities mediated the level of moderate to vigorous physical activity in girls.

Conclusions

Parents, communities, and schools should provide and enhance opportunities outside of the school day for adolescents to be active. Reducing transportation barriers and enlisting social support appear to be key.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 South Second Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN, 55454-1054, USA

    Leslie A. Lytle Ph.D., R.D.

  2. Division of Epidemiology, Division of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, B222 Starling Loving Hall, 320 West 10th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    David M. Murray Ph.D.

  3. Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Bank of America Center, 137 E Franklin Street, Suite 306, Campus Box 8050, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA

    Kelly R. Evenson Ph.D.

  4. MOVE/Me Muevo, (Obesity Prevention & Control in Community Rec Centers), SDSU Research Foundation, 9245 Sky Park Ct., Ste. 224, San Diego, CA, 92123, USA

    Jamie Moody

  5. Division of Prevention and Population Sciences, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7936, Room 10118, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA

    Charlotte A. Pratt M.S., Ph.D., R.D.

  6. Center for Physical Activity and Nutrition, University of Arizona, 6122 N. Running Deer, Tucson, AZ, 85750, USA

    Lauve Metcalfe M.S.

  7. Institute for Health Promotion Research, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, 8207 Callaghan Road, Suite 353, San Antonio, TX, 78230, USA

    Deborah Parra-Medina M.P.H., Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Leslie A. Lytle Ph.D., R.D.
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  2. David M. Murray Ph.D.
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  3. Kelly R. Evenson Ph.D.
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  4. Jamie Moody
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  5. Charlotte A. Pratt M.S., Ph.D., R.D.
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  6. Lauve Metcalfe M.S.
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  7. Deborah Parra-Medina M.P.H., Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Leslie A. Lytle Ph.D., R.D..

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Lytle, L.A., Murray, D.M., Evenson, K.R. et al. Mediators Affecting Girls’ Levels of Physical Activity Outside of School: Findings from the Trial of Activity in Adolescent Girls. ann. behav. med. 38, 124–136 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-009-9127-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-009-9127-2

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