E-Thesis 68 views 28 downloads
Fitness, physical activity, and the feasibility of a school-based adolescent health promotion project for girls in Wales / HANNAH SPACEY
Swansea University Author: HANNAH SPACEY
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Copyright: The Author, Hannah Louise Spacey, 2023 Distributed under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY 4.0)
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DOI (Published version): 10.23889/SUThesis.67899
Abstract
Physical activity is beneficial for current and future health and wellbeing; however, participation remains low, especially in girls. Despite the benefits of physical activity, barriers experienced by girls result in low adherence which is a cause of concern for health professionals. In an attempt t...
| Published: |
Swansea University, Wales, UK
2024
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| Institution: | Swansea University |
| Degree level: | Doctoral |
| Degree name: | Ph.D |
| Supervisor: | Stratton, G., and Brophy, S. |
| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa67899 |
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| Abstract: |
Physical activity is beneficial for current and future health and wellbeing; however, participation remains low, especially in girls. Despite the benefits of physical activity, barriers experienced by girls result in low adherence which is a cause of concern for health professionals. In an attempt to inform intervention design, it is important to explore the lifestyle factors associated with girls’ fitness and girls’ experiences of physical activity to ensure the design and delivery of bespoke interventions that produce meaningful outcomes. School-based adolescent health promotion projects provide a unique opportunity to work with girls, however the delivery and implementation of projects in school settings is complex and because of this, it is important to assess the feasibility of such projects to ensure the successful development and implementation of future work in this area. Study 1 aimed to explore the association between girls’ fitness and obesity with multiple lifestyle factors and found that cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with seven lifestyle factors which accounted for 17.8% of the variance in girls’ fitness, while 13.4% of the variance in BMI was attributed to cardiorespiratory fitness and perception of health. Study 2 explored girls’ physical activity experiences using the Theory of Normative Social Behaviour as a guiding framework. The findings highlighted the impact social norms, gender expectations and the experiences of other girls had on the physical activity behaviours of girls in the study, highlighting the impact the social environment had on girls’ physical activity experiences. Study 3 aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a 39-week school-based health promotion project for adolescent girls in Wales. This study employed robust methods, a 6 month follow up period with project participants and provides unique insights into the real world complexities of implementing a health promotion project across school settings, highlighting considerations for future research and project design. |
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| Keywords: |
Physical activity, fitness, children, adolescents, girls, social norms, school-based, health promotion, RE-AIM, feasibility study |
| College: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| Funders: |
Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships (KESS 2) |