Wednesday, April 2, 2014: 8:30 AM
127 (Convention Center)
Jessica Lynne Hamm, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR and MiSook Kim, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
Background/Purpose: Youth who engage in the recommended amounts of physical activity are more likely to have strong bones, a healthy weight, improved fitness, decreased risk for depression, improved mood and positive mental health. However, many youth are not meeting the recommendations from the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2008) states that this problem is more severe in youth from a low socioeconomic status. There have been a plethora of research on youth in regards to their motives to participate in physical activities and sports but there is a lack of attention to understand underserved youth in their reasons to engage in physical activities. Thus, stemming from the Self-Determination Theory the purpose of this study was to explore the psychosocial reasons why middle school youth from underserved communities participate in leisure time physical activity. According to SDT, an individual is more likely to develop conducive motivations when the three basic psychological needs are satisfied. The SDT states that greater levels of perceived competence, autonomy, and relatedness positively correspond to healthy reasons for engaging in activities, which, in turn, predict optimal cognitive, affective, and behavior outcomes.
Method: The primary researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with twenty middle school aged youth who were attending a summer camp for youth from underserved communities. All participants volunteered and assent as well as parental consent was obtained. Interviews lasted about thirty minutes. The interview questions consisted of demographics, basic physical activity behaviors, and reasons for physical activity during leisure time.
Analysis/Results: Data were transcribed by PI, who then coded and analyzed all transcripts to draw common themes and determine the frequency of them. Social (friends) and environmental (access to programs) factors were the most frequently cited reasons for participating in physical activities during leisure time. Youth were most likely to participate in physical activities when they had a large social component and perceived themselves to have competence, autonomy, and relatedness.
Conclusions: The findings suggested that enhancing the social environment where the undeserved youth feel more cared for, connected, and a sense of belonging and the availability of physical activity programs would help increase motivation of youth to participate in leisure time physical activity.
