title: Race differences in activity, fitness, and BMI in female eighth graders categorized by sports participation status.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to identify racial differences in physical activity (PA), fitness, and BMI in female 8th-grade sports participants and nonparticipants. Girls from 31 South Carolina middle schools (N = 1,903, 48% White; mean age = 13.6 +/- 0.63) reported PA and previous year sports-team participation, completed a submaximal fitness test, and had height and weight measured. Sports team participation was positively associated with PA and negatively associated with television viewing and BMI, in a dose-response manner. Compared with Whites, African-Americans reported less PA and more television viewing, and had greater BMI scores. Whereas PA intervention programs that incorporate a sports-team component could benefit all girls, African-American girls could be specifically targeted because of their lower physical activity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Community Health School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55454-1015, USA.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Sirard
authors.forename: Karin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
authors.forename: Marsha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dowda
authors.forename: Russell R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Pate
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D013022:South Carolina; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D044465:White People