Adoption and maintenance of physical activity amongst Australian adolescents : implications for schooling and learning

Whilst regular physical activity is commonly associated with numerous physical health benefits, the literature suggests that physical activity may also have favourable effects on academic performance, classroom behaviour, interpersonal relationships, and psychological well-being. Despite this, sedentary lifestyles, particularly amongst school aged students, are increasing. Simplistic interventions addressing physical activity have had limited success because participation in physical activity is a complex phenomenon with social, environmental and psychological antecedents and consequences. The transtheoretical model (TTM) of change (Prochaska & Velicer, 1997) has, however, been successfully applied to the physical activity domain because it accounts for the psychological complexity of involvement in physical activity. The present study analyses the applicability of the TTM to the physical activity of adolescents in Australian school settings. 375 high school students from the Greater Western Sydney region were surveyed using a newly devised measure of physical activity based on the TTM of change. Findings indicated support for both the reliability of the new instrument, and the applicability of the transtheoretical model for physical activity in an Australian adolescent sample. The research will assist educators to develop suitable physical education programs that establish life-long positive health behaviours amongst Australian school students