The association of objectively determined physical activity behavior among adolescent female friends

Res Q Exerc Sport. 2007 Mar;78(2):9-15. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2007.10599398.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which physical activity among adolescent female friends is interdependent. The participants were 318 adolescent girls with a mean age of 16.0 years (range: 15-18 years). Pedometry was used to assess physical activity over 4 days. The relationship between an individual girl and her first-nominated reciprocal friend's physical activity level was moderate (r = 0.45, 90% confidence interval = 0.31, 0.56), when the friendship was nonreciprocal it was trivial (r = -.06, 90% confidence interval = -.36 .25). Friends'physical activity levels explained between 27% and 32% of an individual's pedometer-determined physical activity level. Reciprocity of friendship is an important variable to consider when understanding the relationship between adolescent female friends' physical activity. When friendships are reciprocal, there is a stronger relationship between friends' physical activity.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Exercise*
  • Female
  • Friends*
  • Humans
  • Monitoring, Ambulatory / instrumentation
  • Motivation*
  • Queensland