Ninth-Grade Students' Physical Activity Levels and Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined ninth-grade students' physical activity levels within a week of a regular school semester and their self-efficacy to overcome barriers to physical activity. Methods: One hundred thirty-one students from a 6A midwestern state high school in the United States completed the study where the authors collected students' data on their Physical Activity levels via the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A), Self-efficacy in Physical Activity assessed via Adolescents' self-efficacy to overcome barriers to physical activity scale (Dwyer et al., 2012), and the general demographic data. The authors intended to examine differences in physical activity levels among ethnic groups and between male and female students, and to identify significant factors that predict physical activity levels. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in physical activity levels among ethnic groups (e.g., M_Caucasian = 2.87; SD = 0.67; M_{African American} = 2.73; SD = 0.63; F(3,122) = .824, p > .05). Moreover, male and female students reported similar physical activity levels (M_Male = 2.93; SD = 0.74, M_Female = 2.83; SD = 0.67; t(129) = .791, p > .05). The physical activity readiness levels and the self-efficacy scores on overcoming the internal, social, and responsibility barriers were the only significant factors in predicting students' physical activity levels.