
ERIC Number: EJ749695
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 15
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0001-8449
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Available Date: N/A
Adolescent Girls' Perceived Barriers to Participation in Physical Activity
Dwyer, John J. M.; Allison, Kenneth R.; Goldenberg, Ellie R.; Fein, Allan J.; Yoshida, Karen K.; Boutilier, Marie A.
Adolescence (San Diego): an international quarterly devoted to the physiological, psychological, psychiatric, sociological, and educational aspects of the second decade of human life, v41 n161 p75 Spr 2006
Research shows a decline in physical activity levels during adolescence, particularly among girls. This study explored perceived barriers to participation in moderate and vigorous physical activity among adolescent girls who live in a large ethnoracially and socioeconomically diverse city. A total of 73 adolescent girls in Toronto participated in 1 of 7 focus group sessions which were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim, and qualitative software was used to facilitate data analysis. A constant comparison approach was used to inductively develop themes. Participants' perceived barriers to participating in physical activity included: lack of time; involvement in technology-related activities; influence of peers, parents and teachers; concern about safety; inaccessibility of facilities and cost of using them; competition; and body-centered issues. The results suggest that strategies to address specific intrapersonal, social-environmental, and physical-environmental barriers to physical activity participation should be used in physical activity promotion programs for adolescent girls.
Descriptors: Adolescents, Females, Data Analysis, Physical Activities, Focus Groups, Physical Activity Level, Attitude Measures, Foreign Countries, Peer Influence, Family Influence, Participation, Time, Competition, Body Composition, Self Concept
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada; Canada (Toronto)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A