Youth Beliefs About Health and Physical Activity

This study examined the extent to which youth at Grades 3, 6, 9, and 12 believed that frequent physical activity resulted in various physical and psychological outcomes. Youth at all four ages believed that frequent activity resulted in beneficial physical outcomes. Younger respondents were more likely to affirm external physical outcomes than either internal physiological or psychological outcomes. Older adolescents were more likely than children to affirm internal physiological outcomes. In contrast to prediction, adolescents were less likely than children to affirm psychological outcomes. The study also assessed beliefs about the effect of various harmful behaviors (e.g., smoking, drug use, lack of exercise) on physical fitness and ability. Abusive behaviors (e.g., smoking, drinking) were judged to be more harmful to physical ability than were sedentary behaviors (e.g., not exercising).