title: The effect of peer influence on the amount of physical activity performed in 8- to 12-year-old boys.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of physical and sedentary activity normal-weight and at-risk-for/overweight boys perform when alone, with a peer of similar weight and with a peer of different weight. Participants included boys, ages 8-12 years, classified as either normal-weight (<85th BMI percentile; N = 12) or at-risk-for/overweight (<85th BMI percentile; N = 12). At-risk-for/ overweight boys allocated a greater amount of time to sedentary activities and accumulated fewer accelerometer counts than normal-weight boys in the alone condition. Once paired with a peer of either similar or different weight there were no differences between groups. These results indicate the presence of an unknown peer has a positive effect on at-risk-for/overweight children's physical activity behavior.
authors.affiliation: School of Exercise Leisure and Sport, Kent State University, Kent, OK, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rittenhouse
authors.forename: Sarah-Jeanne
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Salvy
authors.forename: Jacob E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Barkley
mesh_terms: D000054:Acceleration; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010379:Peer Group; D010465:Perception; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D057185:Sedentary Behavior