Household Support for Physical Activity in Adolescent Girls Living in Primarily Low Socioeconomic Status...

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between perception of household support and physical activity levels of adolescent girls living in primarily low socioeconomic status (SES) neighborhoods. The sample consisted of thirty-six adolescent girls (N=36; 60% non-Hispanic Black; mean age of 14.6 ± 1.3 [mean ± sd]; median body mass index (BMI) percentile of 90.5 [58.5, 97.0]) living in primarily low socioeconomic status (SES) neighborhoods. Trained researchers measured participants' height and weight, and administered questionnaires to assess perception of household support for physical activity and minutes per day participating in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (3-Day Physical Activity Recall). Pearson's correlation, controlling for race, age, and BMI, was used to evaluate the association between perception of household support and adolescents' MVPA levels. There were no significant associations between measures of the perception of household support for physical activity and adolescents' MVPA levels. There were significant negative associations between total adult household support for physical activity (r=-0.51; p<.01) with BMI and the support provided by the closest adult in the household (r=-0.55; p<.01) with BMI. These data suggest that support for physical activity in the household for adolescents with higher BMI's may be warranted.