Mediators affecting girls' levels of physical activity outside of school: findings from the trial of activity in adolescent girls.
BACKGROUND
Providing after school activities is a community level approach for reducing the decline in physical activity of girls as they reach early adolescence.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine psychosocial, environmental, and behavioral factors as potential mediators of after school physical activity in adolescent girls.


METHODS
We assessed objectively measured levels of physical activity occurring outside of school and potential predictors and mediators of activity in girls participating in the Trial of Activity in Adolescent Girls (TAAG).


RESULTS
We found that the TAAG intervention had a statistically significant and positive effect on out of school activity in the 2006 cohort. Self-efficacy, friends' social support, total social support, and difficulty getting to and from community activities mediated the level of moderate to vigorous physical activity in girls.


CONCLUSIONS
Parents, communities, and schools should provide and enhance opportunities outside of the school day for adolescents to be active. Reducing transportation barriers and enlisting social support appear to be key.
Lytle
Leslie A
LA
Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 South Second Street, Minneapolis, MN 55454-1054, USA. lalytle@umn.edu
Murray
David M
DM
Evenson
Kelly R
KR
Moody
Jamie
J
Pratt
Charlotte A
CA
Metcalfe
Lauve
L
Parra-Medina
Deborah
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D010379:Peer Group; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012574:Schools; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012931:Social Environment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires