Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2012-3
Effects of a Culturally Tailored Physical Activity Promotion Program on Selected Self-Regulation Skills and Attitudes in Adolescents of an Underserved,Multiethnic Milieu
To implement a culturally tailored physical activity (PA) promotion program (FunAction) and to assess its impact on five self-regulation skills and attitudes in adolescents.
Design.
The design and implementation of the FunAction program were informed by social marketing principles. The study used a quasi-experimental approach to assess the impact of the program on specific outcome variables.
Setting.
A multiethnic, underserved middle school in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Subjects.
The intervention group was made up of grade 8 students (n = 165) and the control group was made up of grade 7 students (n = 137).
Intervention.
During the 16-week intervention, adolescents were able to choose from a variety of 45-minute cardiovascular PAs offered daily during their school lunch period. Adolescents participated in the activities on a voluntary basis.
Measures.
A self-report questionnaire was administered preintervention and postintervention to measure adolescents' scores on the following self-regulation skills and attitudes: self control, self-esteem, attention/concentration, social competence, and interethnic relationships.
Analysis.
Three-way repeated measures analyses of variance and correlational analyses were used.
Results.
A significant improvement was observed only in attention/concentration. Girls' attention/concentration scores improved significantly in the intervention group compared to the control group (F1,127 = 16.26, p < .001). The improvement in attention/concentration scores for boys in the intervention group was correlated with their frequency of participation in the program PAs (r = .24, p = .008).
Conclusion.
Using social marketing principles can help encourage adolescents from underserved, multiethnic milieus to participate in PA during their school lunch hour. Furthermore, voluntary participation in a culturally tailored PA program can improve youths' attention/concentration.
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