title: Psychosocial moderators of associations between life events and changes in physical activity after leaving high school.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine 1) associations between life events and changes in leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in school leavers and 2) whether these associations are moderated by psychosocial factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Final year students (n=440) from high schools in rural Western Australia completed annual telephone interviews on three occasions; baseline (T1), one-year follow-up (T2; n=440) and two-year follow-up (T3; n=374). LTPA was measured using the Minnesota Leisure-time Physical Activity Questionnaire. Life events included moving out of home, working full-time and studying full-time. Psychosocial factors included enjoyment, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, club membership, and support from family and friends. Mixed linear regression models examined the effect of life events on changes in LTPA from T1 to T2 and T1 to T3.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A decline in LTPA across all time points was observed. Those who continued full-time education had a smaller LTPA decline than those who did not. Those who were not a member of a sporting club at T1 had greater LTPA decline if they worked full-time at T2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need for interventions to prevent declines in LTPA among school leavers, especially those who do not enter tertiary education. Encouraging sporting club membership during high school might be important.
authors.affiliation: Unit Health Promotion and Education, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 4K3, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Human Biometry and Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium; Fund for Scientific Research Flanders Belgium, Egmontstraat 5, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: dorien.simons@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Dorien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simons
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion Evaluation Unit, The University of Western Australia (M408), 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia. Electronic address: michael.rosenberg@uwa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.affiliation: Centre for Physical Activity & Nutrition Research, School of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia. Electronic address: jo.salmon@deakin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salmon
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia (M431), 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA 6009, Australia. Electronic address: matthew.knuiman@uwa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knuiman
authors.affiliation: Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, West Perth, WA 6872, Australia. Electronic address: joanna.granich@telethonkids.org.au.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Granich
authors.affiliation: Unit Health Promotion and Education, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 4K3, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Human Biometry and Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: benedicte.deforche@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Benedicte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Deforche
authors.affiliation: Centre for Physical Activity & Nutrition Research, School of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia. Electronic address: anna.timperio@deakin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Timperio
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D004522:Educational Status; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities / Q000523:psychology; D008016:Life Change Events; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011584:Psychology; D012574:Schools; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014904:Western Australia; D014937:Work
keywords: Adolescents; Correlates; Education; Leisure activity; Longitudinal data; School Leavers; Transition; Workforce; Young adulthood; Young people