This article examined qualitative studies of adolescents' perspectives about the facilitators and barriers of physical activity, published from 2007 to 2014. A systematic review of 'Web of Science', 'EBSCO', 'Psychinfo' and 'ERIC' databases was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. The following keywords were used: 'physical activity' and 'physical education', each one individually associated with 'correlate', 'determinant', 'facilitator', 'barrier', 'factor influen*', and with 'qualitative', 'focus group', 'interview', "narrative'. Out of 3815 studies initially identified, due to inclusion and quality criteria, only 12 were fully reviewed. Studies' outcomes were analyzed through thematic analysis. The majority of these reported research with young adolescent girls. Few studies have considered the socioeconomic status influence. According to young people's perspectives, the main facilitators and hampering factors to their participation in physical activity were the following: attitude toward physical activity; motivation; perceptions of competence and body image; fun; influence of friends, family and physical education teachers and environmental physical activity opportunities. Specific life transition periods were referred only as a barrier to physical activity. Strategies of pedagogical actions and for developing physical activity intervention programs were discussed, in order to effectively promote the adoption of active lifestyles among youth.

Background: Physical education should promote an active and healthy lifestyle with an emphasis on students’ preparation for lifelong physical activity. Healthy People 2010 recommends that physical education is offered on a daily basis and that pupils engage in physical activities of moderate to vigorous intensity (MVPA) during at least 50% of lesson time. Purpose: The present study aimed at investigating the potential of modified game forms to promote sex equity in 13-year-old pupils’ physical activity engagement during coeducational lessons. A second purpose was to compare levels of MVPA between single-sex and coeducational classes with and without ability grouping. Methods: To provide evidence for transfer of results between countries, the study was conducted in Belgium and Portugal. The sample consisted of 221 students out of 12 Belgian and 12 Portuguese classes, including 104 Portuguese and 117 Belgian pupils, of whom 113 were boys and 108 were girls. Two classes were all-girls, two all-boys and eight coeducational. One identical invasion game lesson (korfball) was taught using modified game forms as a core part of the lesson. Variables such as class size and sex composition, court measurements, and the orientation of the physical education teacher were controlled for. Polar Heart Rate Monitors were used to register heart rates in order to measure physical activity levels. Time spent in MVPA was calculated using the following formula: MVPA ¼ (number of heart-rate readings higher than 145 beats per minute x 15 seconds) / 60 seconds. Results: Results showed that the percentage of MVPA was significantly higher among girls (69.9%) when compared to boys (56.8%) and this was the case for all lesson contexts (coeducational and single sex). For pupils participating in the single-sex classes, 55.0% of the heart-rate recordings exceeded the threshold value for MVPA; for coeducational classes with and without ability grouping, percentages were significantly higher with values of 68.1% and 65.5% respectively. Conclusion: It can be concluded that using modified game forms with simplified rules has the potential as a coeducational instrument to produce MVPA levels that correspond with physical activity guidelines in both sexes, independently from lesson context. The findings of this study offer a promising means of, in particular, stimulating girls’ physical activity levels during physical education

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Purpose: Understanding friends influences on adolescents' PA, and how these change over time, is fundamental to developing interventions for promoting active lifestyles yet the latter in particular remains unexplored. This study explored the experiences and perspectives of physically active and inactive adolescents regarding the influence of their friends on their PA throughout childhood and adolescence. Methods: Following completion of a questionnaire, 16 adolescents, 8 boys (4 physically inactive, 4 active) and 8 girls (4 inactive, 4 active), aged 17±1.0 years, were selected from two schools. A qualitative design was adopted whereby each adolescent was interviewed individually. Using the constant comparative method, the interviews were inductively and thematically analysed. Results: Four main themes were identified: I) PA journeys; II) Friends provide PA benefits); III) Friends matter in PA, but change; IV) Against all odds -rising above others. Compared to the inactive, active Age Family SES Lifestyle PA by life phase (based on interview)

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School and physical education (PE) play an important role in promoting youth physical activity (PA). Although there is extensive evidence about the correlates of PA in youth, few studies summarize these findings and critically connect them to PE based on a socio-ecological approach. The purpose of this article was to perform a narrative review of systematic reviews and of systematic reviews of reviews about the correlates of PA for children and adolescents, and to identify practical implications to PE using a socio-ecological model as a framework. Reviews were identified from searches in Pubmed, PsycINFO, Sportdiscus, ERIC, Web of science databases from 2000 through 2016. Based on established criteria, 20 reviews and four reviews of reviews were analysed. Results were presented in tables and through a narrative synthesis. The main correlates of PA for children and adolescents were: sex (male), age (inverse association), self-efficacy, previous PA, time spent outside (children), parental support, and access to facilities/programs of PA. The implications for PE were critically analyzed around five emerging themes: (1) active PE, (2) learning focused PE and PA for life, (3) Motivational climate in PE and students’ psychosocial profiles, (4) Family and friends, and (5) comprehensive school PA promotion. Efforts to increase school and PE effectiveness by promoting active lifestyles require a comprehensive approach, and should be based on the design of PE and PA programs and the implementation of strategies that build on the main multilevel correlates of PA.Resumen. La escuela y la educación física (EF) desempeñan un papel importante en la promoción de la actividad física (AF) en la juventud. Aunque existe una amplia evidencia acerca de los correlatos de la AF en los jóvenes, pocos estudios resumen estos hallazgos y los vinculan críticamente a la EF basándose en un enfoque socio-ecológico. El propósito de este artículo fue realizar una revisión narrativa de revisiones sistemáticas y de revisiones sistemáticas de revisiones sobre los correlatos de la AF para niños y adolescentes, e identificar implicaciones prácticas para la EF, usando como marco un modelo socio-ecológico. Las revisiones se identificaron a partir de búsquedas realizadas en las bases de satos de Pubmed, PsycINFO, Sportdiscus, ERIC, y Web of science, de 2000 a 2016. Sobre la base de criterios establecidos, se analizaron 20 revisiones y cuatro revisiones de revisiones. Los resultados fueron presentados en tablas y mediante una síntesis narrativa. Los principales correlatos de la AF para niños y adolescentes fueron: sexo (masculino), edad (asociación inversa), autoeficacia, AF previa, tiempo pasado fuera (niños), apoyo de los padres y acceso a instalaciones/programas de AF. Las implicaciones para la EF fueron analizadas críticamente alrededor de cinco temas emergentes: (1) educación física activa, (2) aprendizaje centrado en la EF y la AF para la vida, (3) clima motivacional en la EF y perfiles psicosociales de los estudiantes, (4) familia y amigos, y (5) la promoción integral de la AF escolar. Los esfuerzos para incrementar la efectividad de la escuela y de la EF en la promoción de estilos de vida activos, requieren un enfoque integral y deben basarse en el diseño de programas EF y AF y la implementación de estrategias basadas en los principales correlatos a varios niveles de AF.

This finding suggests that interventions should be considered to replace joint video game time with joint physical activity time.

The aim of this study was to identify correlated factors which explain the recommended level of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) among Portuguese adults. Subjects aged 31-60 years (972 males, 1195 females) were categorized, based on LTPA data obtained using a questionnaire, into two groups according to the PA recommendation for PA: ≥ 10 or < 10 MET · hr · wk(-1). Chi-square and logistic regression analyses were applied to the results. For men, the perception of an active lifestyle [odds ratio (OR) = 4.61, 95% CI:3.13-6.81, p <0.001], having an excellent perception of health (OR = 3.14, 95% CI:1.28-7.71, p =0.013), perception of being sufficiently active (OR = 2.16, 95% CI:1.53-3.05, p <0.001), and having a high socio-economic status (SES) (OR = 1.86, 95% CI:1.22-2.81, p =0.004) were associated with attaining the recommended level of PA. For women, the perception of an active lifestyle (OR = 3.68, 95% CI:2.63-5.15, p <0.001), and middle SES (OR = 1.50, 95% CI:1.07-2.11, p =0.018) were positive and associated with meeting PA recommendations. Unlike men, women with body mass index (BMI) 25-29.9 kg/m(2) were more likely to attain the recommended level of PA than those with BMI <25 kg/m(2). The incidence of adults that met the recommended amount of PA is low. Men and women had different patterns of psychological and socio-demographic correlates. An intervention designed to improve the levels of PA among Portuguese adults may take these correlates into account.