Psychosocial Factors and Physical Activity Among Black Adolescent Females
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Rennae A. Williams (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
- Advisor
- Diane Gill
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to develop a better understanding of the physical activity behavior of Black female adolescents age 14-18 in the Charlotte, NC public school community by examining the relationship between physical activity and self-efficacy, social support, outcome expectations, and physical environment. The study sample consisted of 96 girls ages 14-19 from a public high school in Charlotte, North Carolina. Participants volunteered to complete a survey with demographic, physical activity (PA), and psychosocial questions. The predictor variables were self-efficacy and physical activity self-efficacy, social support, outcome expectations, and physical environment. The dependent variable was physical activity participation. Correlational analysis was employed to examine the relationship of the four predictor variables to physical activity. Self-efficacy was shown to be correlated with PA. The strongest correlation was between physical activity self-efficacy and PA. Correlations between outcome expectations and PA for the total sample were low and not significant. Total social support, family and friend social support were correlated with PA as well. Physical environment was not significantly related with PA for the Black adolescents in this study. Multiple regression was used to determine the relative strength of the four main predictor variables on the dependent variable of physical activity level. For the total sample, the four predictor variables explained 24% of the variance in physical activity participation. Of these variables, physical activity self-efficacy makes the largest unique contribution (beta=.36) with a significance level of .002. In order to understand PA habits and perceptions among Black adolescent females, the last section of the survey included 14 open-ended questions. Most Black participants understand the health benefits of physical activity, but cited tiring and sweating factors as reasons why they do not participate in physical activity. Findings suggest increasing physical activity self-efficacy and providing social support, as well as allowing girls to have a choice in their physical activity and offering activities they consider fun, may lead to increased physical activity among Black adolescent girls.
Psychosocial Factors and Physical Activity Among Black Adolescent Females
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Created on 8/1/2010
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Dissertation
- Language: English
- Date: 2010
- Keywords
- African-American female adolescents, Black female adolescents, Environment, Physical activity, Self-efficacy, Social support
- Subjects
- African American teenagers $x Health and hygiene.
- Exercise $x Psychological aspects.
- Exercise $x Social aspects.
- Self-efficacy.