Perceived physical environment and physical activity across one year among adolescent girls: self-efficacy as a possible mediator?
OBJECTIVE
This study involved an examination of the direct and mediated effects of perceived equipment accessibility and neighborhood safety on physical activity across a one-year period among adolescent girls.


METHODS
Adolescent girls (N = 1,038) completed self-report measures of perceived environment, barriers self-efficacy, and physical activity in the Spring semesters of 1999 (baseline) and 2000 (follow-up) when students were in the 8th and 9th grades.


RESULTS
An initial analysis demonstrated that neighborhood safety did not exhibit cross-sectional or longitudinal direct effects on physical activity, whereas equipment accessibility exhibited a statistically significant cross-sectional, but not longitudinal, direct effect on physical activity. The secondary analysis demonstrated that self-efficacy for overcoming barriers mediated the cross-sectional effect of equipment accessibility on physical activity.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that the cross-sectional effect of perceived equipment accessibility on physical activity is mediated by self-efficacy for overcoming barriers among adolescent girls. This is consistent with the reciprocal relationships among the environment, person, and behavior described by social-cognitive theory.
Motl
Robert W
RW
Department of Kinesiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801-3895, USA. robmotl@uiuc.edu
Dishman
Rod K
RK
Ward
Dianne S
DS
Saunders
Ruth P
RP
Dowda
Marsha
M
Felton
Gwen
G
Pate
Russell R
RR
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D004777:Environment; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010465:Perception; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012449:Safety; D020377:Self Efficacy