Promoting physical activity in middle school girls: Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls
Larry S Webber, Diane J Catellier, Leslie A Lytle, David M Murray, Charlotte A Pratt, Deborah R Young, John P Elder, Timothy G Lohman, June Stevens, Jared B Jobe, Russell R Pate, TAAG Collaborative Research Group, John P Elder, Terry Conway, Thomas McKenzie, Jamie Moody, Julie Pickrel, James F Sallis Jr, Jean G Williston, Larry S Webber, Sandra Cameron, Donna Donovan, Jewel Harden, Carolyn C Johnson, Janell Jones, Rochelle Kielbon, Patricia King, Vivian G Marino, Latricia Olivier, Sheryl Pedersen, Janet C Rice, Lakesha Stevenson, Patricia Strikmiller, Ariane Bedimo-Rung, Melinda Sothern, J Mark Loftin, Timothy G Lohman, Rob Blew, Stuart Cohen, Ellen Cussler, Janis Eklung, Scott Going, Michele Graves, Melanie Hingle, Vinson Lee, Lauve Metcalfe, Jennifer Reeves, Kenneth Schachter, Lisa Staten, Greg Welk, Deborah R Young, Daheia Barr-Anderson, Sarah Camhi, Tavon English, Mira Grieser, Catherine Gurgol, JoAnn Kuo, Berenice Rushovich, Brit I Saksvig, Shumei Shang, Jana Sharp, Carolyn C Voorhees, Heidi Wilkes, Cheryl Alexander, Joel Gittelsohn, Margarita S Treuth, Leslie A Lytle, Joy Ahern, Julie Hawkins, Martha Kubik, Stacey Moe, Helen Nelson, Dianne Neumark-Stzainer, Cheryl Perry, Jeanna Rex, Kathryn Schmitz, Russell R Pate, Cheryl Addy, Andrea Dunn, Gwen Felton, Rod Dishman, Marsha Dowda, Dale Murrie, Deborah Parra-Medina, Karin Pfeiffer, Abby Reid, Ruth Saunders, Laverne Shuler, June Stevens, Chris Baggett, James A Bartow, Hope Bryan, Diane J Catellier, Nancy S Cohn, Derek Coombs, Christine E Cox, C E Davis, Kelly R Evenson, Carol A Ford, Linda Hartig, David Hill, Jung Sun Lee, James Locklear, William McGee, Robert G McMurray, Terry Mehlman, Jesse Metzger, Kurt M Ribisl, Kimberly B Ring, Sherry Roberts, Kathy Roggenkamp, Sherry L Salyer, Allan B Steckler, Dawn D Stewart, Susan G Strohlein, Daniel R Taber, Olivia Thomas, Dianne S Ward, David M Murray, Charlotte A Pratt, Robin Boineau, Jared B Jobe, Peter G Kaufmann, Denise Simons-Morton, Elaine Stone, Song Yang, Stephen Fortmann, Tom Baranowski, Bettina Beech, Henry Feldman, Patty Freedson, Ken Resnicow, Larry S Webber, Diane J Catellier, Leslie A Lytle, David M Murray, Charlotte A Pratt, Deborah R Young, John P Elder, Timothy G Lohman, June Stevens, Jared B Jobe, Russell R Pate, TAAG Collaborative Research Group, John P Elder, Terry Conway, Thomas McKenzie, Jamie Moody, Julie Pickrel, James F Sallis Jr, Jean G Williston, Larry S Webber, Sandra Cameron, Donna Donovan, Jewel Harden, Carolyn C Johnson, Janell Jones, Rochelle Kielbon, Patricia King, Vivian G Marino, Latricia Olivier, Sheryl Pedersen, Janet C Rice, Lakesha Stevenson, Patricia Strikmiller, Ariane Bedimo-Rung, Melinda Sothern, J Mark Loftin, Timothy G Lohman, Rob Blew, Stuart Cohen, Ellen Cussler, Janis Eklung, Scott Going, Michele Graves, Melanie Hingle, Vinson Lee, Lauve Metcalfe, Jennifer Reeves, Kenneth Schachter, Lisa Staten, Greg Welk, Deborah R Young, Daheia Barr-Anderson, Sarah Camhi, Tavon English, Mira Grieser, Catherine Gurgol, JoAnn Kuo, Berenice Rushovich, Brit I Saksvig, Shumei Shang, Jana Sharp, Carolyn C Voorhees, Heidi Wilkes, Cheryl Alexander, Joel Gittelsohn, Margarita S Treuth, Leslie A Lytle, Joy Ahern, Julie Hawkins, Martha Kubik, Stacey Moe, Helen Nelson, Dianne Neumark-Stzainer, Cheryl Perry, Jeanna Rex, Kathryn Schmitz, Russell R Pate, Cheryl Addy, Andrea Dunn, Gwen Felton, Rod Dishman, Marsha Dowda, Dale Murrie, Deborah Parra-Medina, Karin Pfeiffer, Abby Reid, Ruth Saunders, Laverne Shuler, June Stevens, Chris Baggett, James A Bartow, Hope Bryan, Diane J Catellier, Nancy S Cohn, Derek Coombs, Christine E Cox, C E Davis, Kelly R Evenson, Carol A Ford, Linda Hartig, David Hill, Jung Sun Lee, James Locklear, William McGee, Robert G McMurray, Terry Mehlman, Jesse Metzger, Kurt M Ribisl, Kimberly B Ring, Sherry Roberts, Kathy Roggenkamp, Sherry L Salyer, Allan B Steckler, Dawn D Stewart, Susan G Strohlein, Daniel R Taber, Olivia Thomas, Dianne S Ward, David M Murray, Charlotte A Pratt, Robin Boineau, Jared B Jobe, Peter G Kaufmann, Denise Simons-Morton, Elaine Stone, Song Yang, Stephen Fortmann, Tom Baranowski, Bettina Beech, Henry Feldman, Patty Freedson, Ken Resnicow
Abstract
Background: Physical activity is important for weight control and good health; however, activity levels decline in the adolescent years, particularly in girls.
Design: Group randomized controlled trial.
Setting/participants: Middle school girls with English-speaking skills and no conditions to prevent participation in physical activity in 36 schools in six geographically diverse areas of the United States. Random, cross-sectional samples were drawn within schools: 6th graders in 2003 (n=1721) and 8th graders in 2005 (n=3504) and 2006 (n=3502).
Intervention: A 2-year study-directed intervention (fall 2003 to spring 2005) targeted schools, community agencies, and girls to increase opportunities, support, and incentives for increased physical activity. Components included programs linking schools and community agencies, physical education, health education, and social marketing. A third-year intervention used school and community personnel to direct intervention activities.
Main outcome measures: The primary outcome, daily MET-weighted minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MET-weighted MVPA), was assessed using accelerometry. Percent body fat was assessed using anthropometry.
Results: After the staff-directed intervention (pre-stated primary outcome), there were no differences (mean= -0.4, 95% CI= -8.2 to 7.4) in adjusted MET-weighted MVPA between 8th-grade girls in schools assigned to intervention or control. Following the Program Champion-directed intervention, girls in intervention schools were more physically active than girls in control schools (mean difference 10.9 MET-weighted minutes of MVPA, 95% CI=0.52-21.2). This difference is about 1.6 minutes of daily MVPA or 80 kcal per week. There were no differences in fitness or percent body fat at either 8th-grade timepoint.
Conclusion: A school-based, community-linked intervention modestly improved physical activity in girls.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00006409.
Figures
Source: PubMed