RT Journal
A1 Corder K, van Sluijs EF, Goodyer I, et al
T1 PHysical activity awareness of british adolescents
JF Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
JO Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
YR 2011
FD July 1
VO 165
IS 7
SP 603
OP 609
DO 10.1001/archpediatrics.2011.94
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpediatrics.2011.94
AB Objectives 
                  To assess adolescent physical activity (PA) awareness and to investigate associations with biologic and psychosocial factors.Design 
                  Cross-sectional study from November 1, 2005, through July 31, 2007 (the ROOTS study).Setting 
                  Population-based sample recruited from Cambridgeshire and Suffolk schools (United Kingdom).Participants 
                  Of 799 participants, 43.6% were male. The mean (SD) age was 14.5 (0.5) years.Main Exposures 
                  Self-rated PA perception, self-reported psychosocial factors, and measured anthropometry.Main Outcome Measures 
                  We measured PA with accelerometry for 5 days. Inactive was defined as less than 60 minutes per day of moderate and vigorous PA (MVPA) measured by accelerometry. Associations between awareness (agreement between self-rated and accelerometry-measured active/inactive) and potential correlates were investigated using multinomial logistic regression.Results 
                  Approximately 70.1% of adolescents were inactive (81.2% of girls and 55.8% of boys; odds ratio [OR], 3.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.41-4.82). There were 52.6% of all girls (64.8% of inactive girls) and 33.6% of all boys (60.3% of inactive boys) who inaccurately rated themselves as active (overestimators). Compared with girls accurately describing themselves as inactive (28.6%), girl overestimators had lower fat mass (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.70-0.99), higher socioeconomic status (high vs low OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.07-5.32), more parent support (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.12-2.22), and better family relationships (OR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.09- 0.67). Among boys accurately describing themselves as inactive (22.1%), overestimators had lower fat mass (OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.77-0.96) and reported more peer support (OR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.32-2.30) and less teasing (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.61-0.92).Conclusions 
                  A substantial number of adolescents believe themselves to be more physically active than they really are. They may be unaware of potential health risks and unlikely to participate in PA promotion programs. Increasing information of PA health benefits beyond weight control might encourage behavior change.