Adolescent girls' exposure to physical activity-promoting environments

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Health
• School-based Interventions

Background:

• Physical activity (PA) is crucial for adolescent health.
• School environments play a significant role in promoting PA.
• Interventions targeting school environments can influence PA levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate self-reported exposure to a physical activity (PA) intervention among 8th-grade girls.
• To assess changes in school environmental factors supporting PA.
• To determine the sustainability of intervention effects over time.

Main Methods:

• Utilized survey data from 8th-grade girls in intervention and control schools over two years (N=6831).
• Measured exposure to health education, physical education (PE) components, PA programming, and PA messages.
• Assessed girls' perceptions of the school environment and principals' evaluations of PA support.

Main Results:

• Year 2: Intervention group girls reported significantly greater exposure to all four intervention components compared to control groups.
• Year 3: Differences in exposure between intervention and control groups diminished, with significant differences remaining in only two components.
• Principal-reported school environmental factors showed no significant differences between groups.

Conclusions:

• The intervention, TAAG (Taking Action on Adolescent Girls' Physical Activity), demonstrated initial success in increasing exposure in Year 2.
• Intervention effects on exposure diminished by Year 3, suggesting challenges in long-term sustainability.
• Further research is needed to identify strategies for maintaining intervention effects in school settings.