Understanding and Promoting Physical Activity among Finnish Adolescent Girls: The Role of Active Physical Education Homework

Abstract

The majority of adolescents do not reach the recommended levels of physical activity, and especially females have low levels of activity as they approach adolescence. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the physical activity of adolescent girls, with a focus on after-school activities and active physical education (PE) homework assignments given to promote the physical activity of adolescent girls. The aim was also to study, how active physical education homework could function in PE, how students react on these kind of homework assignments, accompanied with perceptions of students and parents. The participants were girl students from a Finnish lower secondary school, and their physical activity was examined using objectively measurements (N = 88) and self-reported information (N = 81). The opinions about active physical education homework were gathered using questionnaires (N = 117), interviews with students and parents (N = 43), and a teacher-researcher diary. Objectively measured data with questionnaire and self-reported structured diary data were analysed by frequencies, cross-tabulation, comparison of mean values by t-test and analysis of variance, Cohen’s d, and Kruskal-Wallis. For the interviews, qualitative content analysis was used, supplemented with open answers and teacher-researcher diary content. On average, participants spent 1 hour 11 minutes on the MVPA level, 3 hours 8 minutes at the light activity level, and sedentary time was 7 hours 37 minutes. The high-active girls participated the most frequently in organized sports activities, and the low-active girls were the most active in participating in household chores. The physical education homework was a small aspect of the participants’ whole-day physical activity, averaging 34 minutes per week. Students did the voluntary active physical education homework very often, with almost 90% doing the homework always. According to students and parents diverse, fun, interesting, and challenging opportunities should be provided with family support in physical education homework assignments. The average addition of 34 minutes of physical activity a week in form of physical education homework is a start, but there is still a need to find new useful ways to promote adolescent girls’ physical activity.