Unsupervised Time and Physical Activity in Adolescent Girls
Author Information
Author(s): Rushovich Berenice R, Voorhees Carolyn C, Davis CE, Neumark-Sztainer Dianne, Pfeiffer Karin A, Elder John P, Going Scott, Marino Vivian G
Primary Institution: University of Maryland, College Park
Hypothesis
Adult supervision after school would be positively associated with physical activity among young adolescent girls.
Conclusion
Girls in an unsupervised environment engaged in fewer structured activities but were more likely to be physically active than supervised girls.
Supporting Evidence
- Girls alone for ≥2 hours after school, ≥2 days a week, on average accrue 7.55 minutes more moderate to vigorous physical activity per day than supervised girls.
- Unsupervised girls did less homework and spent more time on activities like dancing and listening to music.
- Girls who spent more time alone after school had fewer resources for transportation and less access to activities outside the home.
Takeaway
Girls who are home alone after school tend to be more active than those who have adults around, even if they do less homework.
Methodology
A random sample of girls from 36 middle schools was selected, and physical activity was measured using accelerometers and self-reports.
Potential Biases
Self-reported measures may lead to inaccuracies in reported physical activity levels.
Limitations
Self-reported data may introduce bias, and the Home Alone scale was not tested for reliability.
Participant Demographics
Participants were adolescent girls from diverse ethnic backgrounds across multiple U.S. locations.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.01
Confidence Interval
95% C.I. (LL, UL)
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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