1. Testing the Youth Physical Activity Promotion Model: Fatness and Fitness as Enabling Factors.
- Author
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Chen, Senlin, Welk, Gregory J., and Joens-Matre, Roxane R.
- Subjects
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PHYSICAL activity , *ABILITY , *ANALYSIS of covariance , *CHILDREN'S health , *STATISTICAL correlation , *EXERCISE tests , *GOODNESS-of-fit tests , *MATHEMATICAL models , *RESEARCH methodology , *MOTIVATION (Psychology) , *CHILDHOOD obesity , *PHYSICAL fitness , *QUESTIONNAIRES , *SELF-perception , *THEORY , *EFFECT sizes (Statistics) , *BODY mass index , *STRUCTURAL equation modeling , *PARENT attitudes , *OXYGEN consumption , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *CHILDREN , *PSYCHOLOGY ,RESEARCH evaluation - Abstract
As the prevalence of childhood obesity increases, it is important to examine possible differences in psychosocial correlates of physical activity between normal weight and overweight children. The study examined fatness (weight status) and (aerobic) fitness as Enabling factors related to youth physical activity within the Youth Physical Activity Promotion Model (YPAP). Youth ages 9–11 years (N= 1,103) completed the Children’s Physical Activity Correlates survey and the Children’s Physical Activity Questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the relationships among variables. Overweight children reported lower scores on global self-esteem, perceived competence, attraction to physical activity, and parental influence (Cohen’sdranging from .23 to .45 for girls; Cohen’sdranging from .31 to .43 for boys). Weight status showed a small positive direct effect on physical activity (standardized path coefficient = .11), but did not show effects on psychosocial correlates (p> .05). Furthermore, aerobic fitness proved to be a stronger Enabling factor (standardized path coefficient = .26) than weight status within the YPAP model. Future research using the YPAP model may extend its utility as an evaluation framework for youth physical activity intervention studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
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