Relationships of perceived benefits and barriers to physical activity, physical activity participation and physical fitness in Hong Kong female adolescents.

AIM: Previous studies that examined participation in physical activity suggested that female adolescents were less active compared with males. However, the relationship between physical fitness, physical activity participation, and perceived benefits and barriers for physical activity to adolescents, irrespective of gender, has not been made clear. This study examines the association of these factors in female adolescents.
METHODS: Physical activity participation and perceived benefits and barriers to physical activity were determined in 206 secondary school female subjects (aged 11 to 18) using a validated questionnaire.
RESULTS: Subjects with a correct concept about optimal physical activity participation to maintain health engaged in an activity level higher than the group without a correct concept (t=2.37, p=0.02). A significant correlation was established between the physical activity participation with "health" (r=0.22, p<0.001) and "body image" (r=0.17, p=0.02) in the perceived benefit category. The individual factor, "make me feel better in general" in the "health" category (p=0.04) and the intention to participate (p<0.001) were shown to be significant predictors for physical activity participation. The combined effects of the regression model explained 35.9% of the variance in participation in physical activity.
CONCLUSION: Policies to support regular physical activity participation at school and out-of-school should be strategically developed and promoted, highlighting the promotion of health benefits in exercise and the reinforcement of initial intent towards exercise.