title: Social support and youth physical activity: the role of provider and type.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, 256 Waldo Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. beetsm@onid.orst.edu
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Beets
authors.forename: Randy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.forename: Loretta
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Forlaw
authors.forename: Kenneth H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Pitetti
authors.forename: Bradley J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Cardinal
mesh_terms: 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