Association of Parent and Peer Support with Adolescent Physical Activity

Th e Council on Physical Education for Children (1998) and an international consensus group recommend thatyoung people accumulate 60 min ofmoderate or greater intensity activityon most daysofthe week (Cavill, Biddle, & Sallis, 2001). A substantial proportion of adolescents, in particular girls and ethnic minorities, are not meeting physical activity recommendations (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2000). Research is needed to determine the factors that influence physical activity participation in this age group. The current study focuses on the relationship of social support to youth physical activity. Social support for physical activity can take many forms. It may be instrumental and direct (transportation, payment offees), emotional and motivational (encouragement, praise), or observational (modeling). In early childhood, parents and siblings serve as the most important behavioral role models. While parents continue to influence adolescents' health behaviors, the role of peer influence is believed to increase with age (Eccles, 1999). Peers exert their influence on adolescent behavior through imitation and social reinforcement (Wold & Hendry, 1998). In the literature, the association between social support and youth physical activityis inconsistent. Previously we reviewed the determinants of physical activity for children and adolescents (Sallis, Prochaska, & Taylor,