title: Childhood and adolescent predictors of leisure time physical activity during the transition from adolescence to adulthood: a population based cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have investigated factors that influence physical activity behavior during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. This study explores the associations of sociodemographic, behavioral, sociocultural, attitudinal and physical factors measured in childhood and adolescence with physical activity behavior during the transition from adolescence to adulthood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Childhood and adolescent data (at ages 7-15 years) were collected as part of the 1985 Australian Health and Fitness Survey and subdivided into sociodemographics (socioeconomic status, parental education), behavioral (smoking, alcohol, sports diversity, outside school sports), sociocultural (active father, active mother, any older siblings, any younger siblings, language spoken at home), attitudinal (sports/recreational competency, self-rated health, enjoyment physical education/physical activity, not enjoying school sports) and physical (BMI, time taken to run 1.6 km, long jump) factors. Physical activity between the ages 15 and 29 years was reported retrospectively using the Historical Leisure Activity Questionnaire at follow-up in 2004-2006 by 2,048 participants in the Childhood Determinants of Adult Health Study (CDAH). Australia's physical activity recommendations for children and adults were used to categorize participants as persistently active, variably active or persistently inactive during the transition from adolescence to adulthood.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For females, perceived sports competency in childhood and adolescence was significantly associated with being persistently active (RR=1.88, 95% CI=1.39, 2.55). Smoking (RR=0.31 CI=0.12, 0.82) and having younger siblings (RR=0.69 CI=0.52, 0.93) were inversely associated with being persistently active after taking physical and attitudinal factors into account. For males, playing sport outside school (RR=1.47 CI=1.05, 2.08), having active fathers (RR=1.25 CI=1.01, 1.54) and not enjoying school sport (RR=4.07 CI=2.31, 7.17) were associated with being persistently active into adulthood. Time taken to complete the 1.6 km run was inversely associated with being persistently active into adulthood (RR=0.85 CI=0.78, 0.93) after adjusting for recreational competency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Perceived sports competency (females) and cardiorespiratory fitness, playing sport outside school and having active fathers (males) in childhood and adolescence were positively associated with being persistently active during the transition from adolescence to adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Menzies Research Institute Tasmania, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 23, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Kim.jose@utas.edu.au
authors.forename: Kim A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Jose
authors.forename: Leigh
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Blizzard
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dwyer
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McKercher
authors.forename: Alison J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Venn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004522:Educational Status; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D010290:Parents; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012923:Social Class; D013177:Sports / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult