title: A qualitative exploration of the "critical window": factors affecting Australian children's after-school physical activity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The after-school period is potentially a "critical window" for promoting physical activity in children. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore children's perceptions of the factors influencing their engagement in physical activity during the after-school period as the first phase in the development of a questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-four South Australian children age 10-13 years participated in same gender focus groups. Transcripts, field notes, and activity documents were analyzed using content analysis. Through an inductive thematic approach, data were coded and categorized into perceived barriers and facilitators according to a social ecological model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children identified a number of factors, including safety in the neighborhood and home settings, distance to and from places, weather, availability of time, perceived competence, enjoyment of physical activity, peer influence, and parent influence. New insights into bullying and teasing by peers and fear of dangerous animals and objects were revealed by the children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, hearing children's voices allowed the emergence of factors which may not be exposed using existing surveys. These findings are grounded in children's perceptions and therefore serve as a valuable contribution to the existing literature, potentially leading to improved intervention and questionnaire design.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: Rebecca Megan
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Stanley
authors.forename: Kobie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boshoff
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dollman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D058445:Bullying; D002648:Child; D004777:Environment; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012449:Safety; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012931:Social Environment; D013021:South Australia; D014887:Weather