The role of peer social network factors and physical activity in adolescent girls.
OBJECTIVE
To study the relationship between peer-related physical activity (PA) social networks and the PA of adolescent girls.


METHODS
Cross-sectional, convenience sample of adolescent girls. Mixed-model linear regression analyses to identify significant correlates of self-reported PA while accounting for correlation of girls in the same school.


RESULTS
Younger girls were more active than older girls. Most activity-related peer social network items were related to PA levels. More PA with friends was significantly related to self-reported PA in multivariate analyses.


CONCLUSIONS
Frequency of PA with friends was an important correlate of PA among the peer network variables for adolescent girls.
Voorhees
Carolyn C
CC
Department of Public and Community Health, Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA. ccv@umd.edu
Murray
David
D
Welk
Greg
G
Birnbaum
Amanda
A
Ribisl
Kurt M
KM
Johnson
Carolyn C
CC
Pfeiffer
Karin Allor
KA
Saksvig
Brit
B
Jobe
Jared B
JB
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003615:Dancing / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010379:Peer Group; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012944:Social Support; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires