Does Eagerness for Physical Activity Matter? The Association Between Eagerness and Physical Activity Among Adolescents

Abstract

This study investigated the association between perceived parental support and eagerness for physical activity (EPA) among adolescents, and the association between EPA and physical activity. We further examined whether perceived athletic competence (PAC) mediates a presumed association between EPA and physical activity level, when controlling for gender. This study included 320 adolescents (aged 12–13) from 18 schools in two medium-sized Norwegian municipalities. Questionnaires and accelerometers were assessed during spring 2017. Structural equation modeling was applied to examine the associations. Standard regression coefficients are presented. Data demonstrated that perceived parental support was positively associated with EPA (β = 0.52), and eagerness was positively associated with PAC (β = 0.52). Both EPA (β = 0.20) and PAC (β = 0.24) were also positively associated with moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). When mediating the relationship between EPA and MVPA, through PAC, the effect on MVPA increased (from β = 0.20 to β = 0.32). Analysis revealed that 87% of the adolescents fulfilled the national health recommendations for physical activity. This study highlights the relevance of EPA and PAC in studies of physical activity among adolescents, and the impact of perceived parental support for adolescents' EPA and physical activity level.

Trajectories of Physical Activity Among Adolescents in the Transition From Primary to Secondary School

“…With this point of departure, individuals can be regarded as products yet also active producers of their ontogeny (Brandtstädter, 2006 ) or as “co-developers of their developmental pathways, adaptively responding to different biological, social, cultural, and physical environmental contexts that they influence and are also influenced by” (Wood et al, 2018 , p. 124). In a previous study (Mikalsen et al, 2019 ), EPA is identified to be a significant correlate of PA among young adolescents.…”

“…A study by Eberline et al ( 2018 ) finds no sex differences in PA level among American fifth-graders. Nor did Mikalsen et al ( 2019 ) find such differences among Norwegian seventh-graders. On the other hand, the Norwegian mapping studies of PA level (Steene-Johannesen et al, 2019 ) do reveal higher levels of moderate PA in 6- and 9-year-old boys than girls.…”

“…In addition, sex is considered as a covariate. The intended study variables have, in a previous baseline study, been proven to impact the PA level among adolescents (Mikalsen et al, 2019 ). According to Rovio et al ( 2018 ), who argue for the importance of pointing out how changes in determinants through the life course affect PA trajectories, we consider a longitudinal follow-up examination of these variables to be an important contribution to the scientific literature.…”

“…Individuals accordingly advance their ability to make assessments of one's competence and make their positive self-appraisal more vulnerable and their self-protecting needs more prominent (Harter, 2012 ). PAC is identified in several studies as being a significant correlate of PA, especially among children and adolescents (Timo et al, 2016 ; Mikalsen et al, 2019 ). In the current study, PAC is, therefore, explored as an age-dependent psycho-social construction that influences future actions based on a basic human urge to protect and enhance one's self-perception.…”

“…From the perspective of all young individuals being both active and acted upon within their environmental contexts (Lerner and Overton, 2008 ), parents are presumed to impact significantly on their offspring's developmental processes, i.e., establishing physical activity behavior (McDavid et al, 2011 ; Gerard and Booth, 2015 ; Weiss and Phillips, 2015 ; Koning et al, 2016 ). Furthermore, parental influence , consisting of intangible (motivation and information) and tangible (instrumental and conditional) influential categories (Beets et al, 2010 ), as perceived by the adolescent, is revealed to be an important aspect of parental impact on adolescents' PA behavior (Glozah and Pevalin, 2015 ; Mikalsen et al, 2019 ). Applying a developmental perspective, Fredricks and Eccles ( 2004 ) suggest that parental influence differs according to developmental stage.…”