Psychosocial correlates to high school girls' leisure-time physical activity: a test of the theory of planned behavior.
This study was designed to test the efficacy of the theory of planned behavior in predicting intention to engage in leisure-time physical activity and leisure-time physical activity behavior of high school girls. Rating scales were used for assessing attitude to leisure-time physical activity, subjective norm, perceived control, and intention to engage in leisure-time physical activity among 129 ninth through twelfth graders. Leisure-time physical activity was obtained from 3-wk. diaries. The first hierarchical multiple regression indicated that perceived control added (R2 change = .033) to the contributions of attitude to leisure-time physical activity and subjective norm in accounting for 50.7% of the total variance of intention to engage in leisure-time physical activity. The second regression analysis indicated that almost 10% of the variance of leisure-time physical activity was explicated by intention to engage in leisure-time physical activity and perceived control, with perceived control contributing 6.4%. From both academic and theoretical standpoints, our findings support the theory of planned behavior, although quantitatively the variance of leisure-time physical activity was not well-accounted for. In addition, considering the small percentage increase in variance explained by the addition of perceived control explaining variance of intention to engage in leisure-time physical activity, the pragmatism of implementing the measure of perceived control is questionable for this population.
Kerner
Matthew S
MS
Department of Health Services, Lehman College of the City University of New York, 417 Gillet Hall, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468, USA. mkerner@lehman.cuny.edu
Kurrant
Anthony B
AB
D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D009043:Motor Activity; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011584:Psychology; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires