Predicting physical activity among urban adolescent girls: A test of the health promotion model.
Vicki R Voskuil, Lorraine B Robbins, Steven J Pierce
PMID 31241204WHAT IT FOUND
Belief in being able to be active was the only factor linked to girls' measured moderate-to-vigorous activity.
Social support, neighborhood options, and commitment were not. The model explained 10.1% of differences in activity.
Key findings
01Self-efficacy had a significant, modest direct effect on accelerometer-measured MVPA (β=.337, 95% CI=[.223, .451]).
02Commitment to PA, options for PA, and social support did not have significant direct effects on MVPA.
03Self-efficacy, social support, and options predicted 31.2% of variance in commitment, and the overall model predicted 10.1% of variance in MVPA.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The design was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that self-efficacy caused more activity or that activity caused higher self-efficacy. The enjoyment measure did not fit well enough to test, so one proposed part of the Health Promotion Model was missing. Several scales were shortened for analysis, which may have weakened how well they represented the intended ideas. Girls often chose agreeable responses. This created ceiling effects and limited the range of scores. Accelerometers did not capture activity during swimming. Results apply only to 5th through 8th grade girls in urban, low-income Midwest schools, not to boys, other ages, other regions, or other socioeconomic levels. The model explained only 10.1% of variance in measured activity.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that improving girls' self-efficacy will increase their physical activity. The study was cross-sectional and did not test an intervention, so it shows an association, not a cause.