Background:
Most Americans are not active at recommended levels. Adolescence is a developmental period when physical activity (PA) decreases markedly.
Methods:
This study investigates whether access to environmental PA resources moderates the relationship between psychosocial resources (social support and perceived competence) and PA among 192 adolescents.
Results:
Environmental access to PA resources (determined via GIS-based assessment of the number of gyms, schools, trails, parks and athletic fields within 0.5 miles of each participant’s home) moderated the association between social support and PA; among adolescents with high levels of environmental resources, greater social support was associated with students participating in a greater number of sports in school, whereas no such relationship emerged among adolescents with low environmental resources.
Conclusions:
PA-promotion interventions should aim to enhance both social and environmental resources; targeting either one alone may be insufficient.Keywordsphysical activity, social support, environmental resources, perceived competence