Evaluation of physical activity and its effective factors in junior high school female students in Rafsanjan City: Application of social- cognitive theory, 2017-18

Background and Objectives:  The World Health Organization introduces appropriate physical inactivity as one of the five main causes of obesity and overweight. This study aimed to identify the determinants of physical activity among Rafsanjan female students based on Social Cognitive Theory. Methods:  A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 640 Junior High School Female Students in Rafsanjan, through cluster random sampling. The data collection tool was a three-part questionnaire for demographic information, physical activity behavior assessment and its determinants based on social cognitive theory. Data were analyzed by SPSS-18 software, using Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman correlation and multivariate regression analysis at a significant level of 0.05. Results:  The mean score of female student’s physical activity time was 79.28 (minutes per week). With the exception of environmental factors, Studentschr(chr('39')39chr('39')) level of physical activity had a statistically significant relationship with other constructs of social cognitive theory, higher level of parental education, lower body mass index and membership in sports teams. The multivariate regression analysis showed social reinforcement as strongest predictor of physical activity (P=0.004, β=0.129). Conclusion:  The rate of physical activity of 95.8 female students is less than the World Health Organization recommendation (60 minutes per day). Therefore, it is recommended to design, implement and evaluate interventional programs at the social level.