Facilitators of Physical Activity: Voices of Adolescents in a Disadvantaged Community

Linus Jonsson, Christina Berg, Christel Larsson, Peter Korp and Eva-Carin Lindgren
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Linus Jonsson: Department of Food and Nutrition and Sport Science, University of Gothenburg, 41120 Gothenburg, Sweden
Christina Berg: Department of Food and Nutrition and Sport Science, University of Gothenburg, 41120 Gothenburg, Sweden
Christel Larsson: Department of Food and Nutrition and Sport Science, University of Gothenburg, 41120 Gothenburg, Sweden
Peter Korp: Department of Food and Nutrition and Sport Science, University of Gothenburg, 41120 Gothenburg, Sweden
Eva-Carin Lindgren: Department of Food and Nutrition and Sport Science, University of Gothenburg, 41120 Gothenburg, Sweden

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-13

Abstract: Despite increasing socioeconomic inequalities in the health and well-being of adolescents, the voices of adolescents in disadvantaged communities regarding facilitators of physical activity (PA) have received relatively little attention. In response, the purpose of this study was to illuminate what adolescents in a multicultural community of low socioeconomic status (SES) in Sweden convey concerning facilitators of PA. Adolescents ( n = 53, aged 12–13 years) were recruited from a school in a multicultural community of low SES in Sweden. Following an interpretive approach, 10 focus group interviews were conducted to produce data for a qualitative content analysis. When the adolescents mentioned PA, they mostly referred to spontaneous PA rather than organized PA, and expressed that they enjoyed their PA engagement, which they stated was promoted by the variation of PA, available options for PA, their physical skills, and the presence of peers. They reported that social support from family and friends facilitated their PA, and they offered several suggestions regarding how the school environment could better support their PA. From the perspective of self-determination theory (SDT), the results stress the importance of facilitating intrinsic motivation with a supportive PA environment in which adolescents can satisfy their needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

Keywords: child perspective; focus group interviews; low socioeconomic status; multicultural community; self-determination theory; youth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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