title: Factors related to rural young adolescents' participation in outdoor, noncompetitive physical activity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Young adolescents who have little interest in participating in competitive team sports are at an increased risk for physical inactivity. Noncompetitive outdoor physical activity can provide young adolescents with increased opportunities to participate in physical activities that appeal to them and have positive health effects. The purpose of this study was to examine factors related to rural young adolescents' participation in noncompetitive outdoor physical activity to inform intervention design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Young adolescents aged 10 to 14 years old (N = 1,032) from 1 rural county completed a self-administered questionnaire assessing constructs from self-determination theory (SDT) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) related to noncompetitive outdoor physical activity. Structural equation modeling was used to examine an integrated conceptual model of hypothesized relationships among constructs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hypothesized conceptual model provided a good fit to the data with greater perceptions of autonomy support and self-determined motivation having statistically significant positive indirect effects on participation in noncompetitive outdoor physical activity mediated by the constructs of the TPB. All direct paths in the model were statistically significant; however, the direct effect of attitudes on intention was weak (.08) and self-determined motivation had no indirect effect on intention through attitudes (.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Constructs of SDT and TPB should be accounted for by interventions targeting noncompetitive outdoor physical activity among young adolescents. More research is needed to determine young adolescents' preferences for noncompetitive and competitive physical activity and the potential influence that noncompetitive outdoor physical activity may have on total daily physical activity.
authors.affiliation: a University of Georgia.
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Christiana
authors.forename: Marsha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Mark G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Frances A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: McCarty
authors.forename: Gary T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009042:Motivation; D009043:Motor Activity; D010465:Perception; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D012424:Rural Population; D066262:Social Norms; D012944:Social Support; D015206:Southwestern United States
keywords: perceived autonomy support; self-determined motivation; theory of planned behavior; youth