Individual, social and physical environment determinants of physical activity among adolescents grades 10--12 in a suburban region.
Item
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Title
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Individual, social and physical environment determinants of physical activity among adolescents grades 10--12 in a suburban region.
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Identifier
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AAI3169908
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identifier
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3169908
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Creator
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Furman, Joan.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Gary Winkel
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Date
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2005
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Social | Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies | Black Studies | Health Sciences, Public Health
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Abstract
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This quantitative cross-sectional study identified the determinants of physical activity in a sample (N = 264) of African American and Hispanic, lower-income adolescents in a suburban community in Nassau County, New York. High school students grades 10 through 12 completed questionnaires on physical activity and its determinants from the demographic, biological, individual, social and physical environment domains of the ecological health model framework. Unique features of this study are that it measured several variables not previously studied among adolescents including the actual settings used by participants for physical activity, the characteristics associated with these settings, and the distances traveled between home and these settings. In addition, the study examined the role of transportation and spending time outdoors on physical activity level. The overall results showed that several factors directly predicted greater physical activity including having a body mass index (BMI) less than the 95th percentile for gender and age, having higher self-efficacy beliefs, spending one's usual recreational time in active rather than sedentary pursuits, having transportation provided to physical activity settings by family, friends and oneself, and the number of hour spent outdoors. In addition, the number of hours spent outdoors mediated several factors in predicting higher amounts of physical activity: a BMI at or above the 95th percentile level, higher self-efficacy beliefs, and spending ones usual recreational time in active rather than sedentary pursuits. As for places used for physical activity, participants' used presumably non-fee and low-fee settings including their own and friends' private homes and public settings (e.g., community parks) more often than private, fee-based health club settings. Using one's home as a setting for physical activity was predictive of less physical activity than was using settings outside of the home. Measures of gender, ethnic and income group differences among physical activity determinants revealed some significant within-group differences. However, these differences did not account for differences in physical activity levels within gender, ethnic or income groups. These findings should be confirmed in future studies with an emphasis on the role of being outdoors, transportation, proximity to settings, and setting characteristics on adolescent physical activity among diverse ethnic and income groups.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
