Decline in Physical Activity in Black Girls and White Girls during Adolescence

Background:A need exists to better understand multilevel influences on physical activity among diverse samples of girls. This study examined correlates of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among adolescent girls from different racial/ethnic backgrounds.Methods:1,180 6th grade girls (24.5% black, 15.7% Hispanic, and 59.8% white) completed a supervised self-administered questionnaire that measured hypothesized correlates of PA. MVPA data were collected for 6 days using the ActiGraph accelerometer. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine correlates of PA in each racial/ethnic group.Results:Hispanic girls (n = 185) engaged in 21.7 minutes of MVPA per day, black girls (n = 289) engaged in 19.5 minutes of MVPA per day, and white girls (n = 706) engaged in 22.8 minutes of MVPA per day. Perceived transportation barriers (+; P = .010) were significantly and positively related to MVPA for Hispanic girls. For black girls, Body Mass Index (BMI) (–; P = .005) and social support from friends (+; P = .006) were significant correlates of MVPA. For white girls, BMI (–; P < .001), barriers (–; P = .012), social support from friends (+; P = .010), participation in school sports (+; P = .009), and community sports (+; P = .025) were significant correlates of MVPA. Explained variance ranged from 30% to 35%.Conclusions:Correlates of MVPA varied by racial/ethnic groups. Effective interventions in ethnically diverse populations may require culturally tailored strategies.

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Considering Sport Participation as a Source for Physical Activity Among Adolescents

Journal of Physical Activity and Health ◽

10.1123/jpah.2012-0238 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 930-941 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jennifer Pharr ◽

Nancy L. Lough

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Sport Participation ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

Black Girls ◽

Black Boys ◽

Low Ses ◽

National Data ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

White Girls ◽

Underserved Groups

Background:Studies have shown participation in sport is lower among girls than boys, decreases as students matriculate through high school, is lowest among Black and Hispanic girls and has a positive relationship with SES. With sport recognized as a contributor to physical activity and health in adolescents, consideration of diminishing rates of participation appears warranted. The purpose of this study was to identify patterns related to differences in self-reported sport participation between genders, ethnic groups, grades and SES.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional, secondary analysis of data collected for a sport interest survey. All students in grades 8–11 attending middle and high schools were provided an opportunity to participate in the survey. Data from 49,832 students were analyzed.Results:Among the participants, Black girls participated more and White girls participated less than expected. Black boys participated more while White and Asian boys participated less than expected. Reported sport participation was high compared with national data when analyzed by gender and ethnic group. Sport participation was higher in low SES schools compared with high SES schools.Conclusion:The importance of sport as a source of physical activity in underserved groups is significant.

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“Downed by Friendly Fire: Black Girls, White Girls, and Suburban Schooling”

Student Anthropologist ◽

10.1002/j.sda2.20190601.0015 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 89-90

Author(s):

Kyle Robert McMillen

Keyword(s):

Black Girls ◽

Friendly Fire ◽

White Girls

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Sex-Role Preference and Parental Imitation within Groups of Middle-Class Whites and Lower-Class Blacks

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1972.30.2.651 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 651-654 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

William D. Ward

Keyword(s):

Middle Class ◽

Sex Role ◽

Lower Class ◽

Black Children ◽

Black Girls ◽

Second Grade ◽

Black Boys ◽

White Children ◽

White Girls ◽

Role Preference

32 second-grade children were assessed on measures of sex-role preference and parental imitation. The middle-class white boys were more masculine in preference than the middle-class white girls were feminine ( t = 3.43, p < .01), and lower-class black girls tended to be more mother imitative than the lower-class black boys were father imitative ( r = 2.09, p < .06). No such differences were found in sex-role preference for blacks or in imitation for whites. The results indicated that there was a dominant masculine influence in the development of sex-role preference among middle-class white children and a dominant feminine influence in parental imitation among lower-class black children.

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Trajectories of Body Mass and Self-Concept in Black and White Girls

Journal of Health and Social Behavior ◽

10.1177/0022146511419205 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 53 (1) ◽

pp. 2-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Sarah A. Mustillo ◽

Kimber L. Hendrix ◽

Markus H. Schafer

Keyword(s):

Body Image ◽

Body Mass ◽

Growth Models ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Black Girls ◽

Self Concept ◽

Health Study ◽

Black And White ◽

White Girls ◽

Body Image Discrepancy

As a stigmatizing condition, obesity may lead to the internalization of devalued labels and threats to self-concept. Modified labeling theory suggests that the effects of stigma may outlive direct manifestations of the discredited characteristic itself. This article considers whether obesity’s effects on self-concept linger when obese youth enter the normal body mass range. Using longitudinal data from the National Growth and Health Study on 2,206 black and white girls, we estimated a parallel-process growth mixture model of body mass linked to growth models of body image discrepancy and self-esteem. We found that discrepancy was higher and self-esteem lower in formerly obese girls compared to girls always in the normal range and comparable to chronically obese girls. Neither body image discrepancy nor self-esteem rebounded in white girls despite reduction in body mass, suggesting that the effects of stigma linger. Self-esteem, but not discrepancy, did rebound in black girls.

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Self-Esteem of Adolescent Females as Related to Race, Economic Status, and Area of Residence

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1987.64.2.559 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 64 (2) ◽

pp. 559-566 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Kathleen Housley ◽

Sue Martin ◽

Harriett Mc Coy ◽

Phyllis Greenhouse ◽

Flavelia Stigger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Economic Status ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Black Girls ◽

Adolescent Females ◽

The Self ◽

Urban Girls ◽

White Girls

The Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale was used to measure the self-esteem of 109 14- and l6-yr.-old (±6 mo.) girls. The self-esteem scores were categorized by economic status, race, and area of residence. For urban girls mean self-esteem of upper economic status subjects was significantly higher than that of those at the lower economic status. The self-esteem of upper economic status urban girls was significantly higher than the self-esteem of their rural peers. Finally, the self-esteem of the urban black girls was significantly higher than the self-esteem of the urban white girls.

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