Social support and youth physical activity: the role of provider and type.
OBJECTIVE
To examine provider and type variation in social support (SS) for activity.


METHODS
Three hundred sixty-three fifth to eighth-grade students completed a questionnaire assessing self-reported activity and social support (SS) from 3 providers: mom, dad, and peers. Important covariates of activity were included in the analysis: age, BMI, sex, and maturation.


RESULTS
Structural equation modeling indicated peers, transportation, and praise affected activity levels. Boys reported greater SS than girls did. Maturation, age, and BMI exhibited unique affects on SS.


CONCLUSIONS
Increasing positive feedback, transportation to places to be active, and peer support may prove advantageous in improving activity levels in this age-group.
Beets
Michael W
MW
Department of Public Health, 256 Waldo Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. beetsm@onid.orst.edu
Vogel
Randy
R
Forlaw
Loretta
L
Pitetti
Kenneth H
KH
Cardinal
Bradley J
BJ
D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States; D010379:Peer Group; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014186:Transportation