"Girls Aren't Meant to Exercise": Perceived Influences on Physical Activity among Adolescent Girls-The HERizon Project.

ABSTRACT: Adolescent girls are less active than boys, with approximately 10% of girls in Ireland and the United Kingdom meeting the minimum recommended daily physical activity (PA) guidelines. This study investigated factors perceived to influence PA among adolescent girls from low socioeconomic areas in order to inform the design of a future intervention (The HERizon Project). A total of 48 adolescent girls (13-18 years) from low socioeconomic areas of the United Kingdom and Ireland participated in focus groups (n = 8), to explore perspectives of physical activity and the influence of gender within this. Focus groups were thematically analyzed and interpreted within a socioecological framework. Most girls enjoyed PA and were aware of its benefits. They identified both barriers and facilitators to P

SUBMITTER: Cowley ES 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7827342 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature