The Role of Peer Social Network Factors and Physical Activity in Adolescent Girls

Abstract

Objective-To study the relationship between peer-related physical activity (PA) social networks and the PA of adolescent girls.Methods-Cross-sectional, convenience sample of adolescent girls. Mixed-model linear regression analyses to identify significant correlates of self-reported PA while accounting for correlation of girls in the same school.Results-Younger girls were more active than older girls. Most activity-related peer social network items were related to PA levels. More PA with friends was significantly related to self-reported PA in multivariate analyses. NIH-PA Author ManuscriptConclusions-Frequency of PA with friends was an important correlate of PA among the peer network variables for adolescent girls. KeywordsSocial networks; social support; physical activity; adolescents; girls Physical activity declines in adolescent girls, and there is a need to understand factors that are associated with this phenomenon. 1 Heaney and Israel suggest that in adults, social support together with social networks has an important causal effect on health, exposure to stress, and the relationship between stress and health. 2 Almost every study that has examined the relationship between physical activity and social support has found a strong positive association using both cross-sectional and prospective study designs, and most have focused on adults. 3-7 There is also evidence that social support may be more influential for women than for men 5-7 and that social networks are the primary means by which individuals receive support. At the same time, the evidence for the relationship between peer support in adolescents is inconsistent. Most studies use overall measures of support with considerable variation in the measurement of physical activity. 8Most research on social networks or peer influence in adolescents has focused on health risk behaviors, such as the influence of peers on smoking behavior. 9-14 Fewer studies have examined whether and how friends' prosocial behaviors may affect the positive health behaviors of adolescents. For instance, prosocial groups are also thought to be protective against violent behavior in youth. 14 Preliminary findings from the PACE (Patient-Centered Assessment and Counseling for Exercise) study showed the relationship between overall peer support and self-reported PA was stronger for girls compared to the boys. (unpublished analyses, J Prochaska & J Sallis, July, 2002). No published data currently exist on peer networks and physical activity among adolescent girls. To fill this gap in the literature, this paper provides preliminary data on the activity-related social networks of middle school girls. Social networks that include active girls or boys could positively influence girls' physical activity by providing opportunities for social support, social influence, social engagement, and access to resources and personal contact to encourage physical activity. 15,16 Understanding which social network features are related to physical activity and the ways by which they promote p...

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