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School Influences on the Physical Activity of African American, Latino, and White Girls
Author(s) -
Duncan Susan C.,
Strycker Lisa A.,
Chaumeton Nigel R.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/josh.12218
Subject(s) - ethnic group , physical activity , african american , physical education , psychology , white (mutation) , structural equation modeling , demography , gerontology , physical activity level , medicine , developmental psychology , physical therapy , sociology , biochemistry , ethnology , mathematics , anthropology , gene , pedagogy , chemistry , statistics
BACKGROUND The purpose of this research was to examine the impact of school‐related variables on the physical activity ( PA ) levels of early adolescent African American, Latino, and White girls. METHODS Data were collected from 353 African American (N = 123), Latino (N = 118), and White (N = 112) girls. Physical activity levels included a PA latent factor and minutes per day of moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity ( MVPA ). School variables included hours of physical education ( PE ), PE enjoyment, school physical environment, recess activity, and active transport to/from school. Multiple‐group structural equation modeling examined relations between school variables and PA across ethnic groups. RESULTS Hours of PE were positively related to higher PA factor scores. Active transport was related to higher PA factor scores for White girls only, and to greater MVPA for African American girls only. Hours of PE were related to PE enjoyment and the school physical environment for some ethnic groups. Physical education enjoyment was related to more recess activity among African American and Latino girls, and PE enjoyment was associated with more active transport to school for all girls. CONCLUSIONS Physical education participation and active transport significantly contribute to girls' levels of PA , with differences across ethnic groups.