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Physical activity levels in 10- to 11-year-olds: clustering of psychosocial correlates

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Greet Cardon ,
Renaat Philippaerts ,
Johan Lefevre ,
Lynn Matton ,
Katrien Wijndaele ,
Anne-Line Balduck  and
Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij
Greet Cardon*
Affiliation:
Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
Renaat Philippaerts
Affiliation:
Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
Johan Lefevre
Affiliation:
Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
Lynn Matton
Affiliation:
Department of Sports and Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Katrien Wijndaele
Affiliation:
Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
Anne-Line Balduck
Affiliation:
Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij
Affiliation:
Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
*
*Corresponding author: Email greet.cardon@UGent.be
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Abstract

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Objectives

To evaluate gender differences for levels of physical activity, for sedentary behaviour and for psychosocial correlates in children, to evaluate whether psychosocial correlates cluster in meaningful ways and to examine whether physical activity and sedentary behaviour differ between children of clusters, differentiated by the level of perceived barriers and benefits, attitudes, social support and self-efficacy.

Design

Cross-sectional study using the Flemish Physical Activity Questionnaire.

Setting

Questionnaires to be filled out by the children and one of their parents, contacted through the school system.

Subjects

A sample of 1124 10- to 11-year-olds (579 boys and 545 girls).

Results

Girls were found to be less active than boys, with boys scoring better for social support, perceived benefits and self-efficacy compared with girls. The way of clustering differed between boys and girls. Boys were allocated to three clusters: one cluster with positive correlates towards physical activity, labelled ‘positives’; one with negative correlates, labelled ‘negatives’; and one characterised mainly by high perceived barriers, labelled ‘hindered’;. In both genders the highest levels of physical activity were found in the ‘positives’;, the lowest in the ‘negatives’;. In girls a fourth cluster was identified, characterised mainly by low perceived barriers and low social support. Physical activity levels in the girls of this cluster, labelled ‘indifferents’;, were the second highest.

Conclusions

More research is needed to further characterise these clusters. To prevent the physical activity decline during the transition from childhood to adulthood, novel interventions need to be explored that focus on children of the clusters with the most negative correlates.

Keywords

Physical activityChildrenCorrelatesClustering
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 8 , Issue 7 , October 2005 , pp. 896 - 903
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2005

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