"More than just another physical activity program": exploring the GUM program for at-risk adolescent girls

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Physical activity (PA) levels are declining among adolescent girls, particularly those identified as 'at-risk'.
• The Girls United and on the Move (GUM) program was developed as a combined PA and psychosocial intervention to address this trend.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the experiences of adolescent girls participating in the GUM program.
• To gather qualitative insights for improving future PA interventions for 'at-risk' adolescent girls.

Main Methods:

• Conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 girls from the GUM program.
• Employed inductive thematic analysis on interview transcripts to identify key themes.

Main Results:

• Theme 1: "Girls uplifting girls" highlighted the value of a girls-only setting and diverse PA options.
• Theme 2: "Finding balance between the physical and psychological" emphasized the importance of the program's integrated approach.

Conclusions:

• The GUM program demonstrates the acceptability and potential effectiveness of integrated PA and psychosocial interventions for 'at-risk' adolescent girls.
• Findings support the creation of supportive, female-centered environments that address both physical and mental well-being in PA programs.