title: Social cognitive factors associated with physical activity in elementary school girls.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine social cognitive factors associated with physical activity (PA) among preadolescent girls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Social cognitive theory was used to examine PA in girls (N=90; 71% African American) participating in Girls on the Run. Multiple regressions explored  factors associated with PA at posttesting and 3-month follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant increases in PA, social influences, and self-efficacy were found, which were sustained at 3-month follow-up. Self-efficacy and social influences had the strongest relations to PA at posttest; self-efficacy  remained the strongest predictor of PA at 3-month follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social support and self-efficacy are important targets of PA interventions in preadolescent girls.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics and Psychology, Children's Hospital of Richmond & Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. mkbean@vcu.edu
authors.forename: Melanie K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Bean
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Suzanne E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Mazzeo
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Fries
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012044:Regression Analysis; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D014768:Virginia