Social-Cognitive Correlates of Physical Activity in a Multi-Ethnic Cohort of Middle-School Girls: Two-year Prospective Study

摘要

>Objective The study examined social-cognitive correlates of physical activity in a multi-ethnic cohort of girls from six regions of the United States who participated in the Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls during their 6th and 8th grade school years. >Methods Girls completed validated questionnaires and wore accelerometers that measured weekly physical activity in the spring of 2002 and 2005. >Results In 8th grade, self-efficacy and perceived social support had indirect relations with physical activity mediated through perceived barriers, which was inversely related to physical activity. Self-efficacy also had a direct relation with physical activity. >Conclusions Correlations were smaller than those obtained in studies that measured physical activity by self-reports, suggesting that previous estimates were inflated by common method artifact. Nonetheless, physical activity trials among girls during early adolescence might focus on increasing self-efficacy for overcoming barriers to physical activity and on ways by which perceived barriers can otherwise be reduced.