Factors associated with tweens' intentions for sustaining participation in an innovative physical activity program

Participation in free-time play, including individual and group activities, is important during adolescence as patterns of physical activity established then persist into adulthood. The VERB Summer Scorecard (VSS) program is an innovative physical activity promotion initiative that offers 9-13 year-olds (tweens) opportunities to be active during the summer months when increased sedentariness can occur, leading to weight gain and a predisposition for further inactivity. This study identified factors associated with intentions to participate in VSS among tweens previously exposed to the program. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1,063 middle schoolers using a 39-item survey. A multi-level analysis determined that being female (OR=1.43), having tried a new physical activity (OR=1.59), not currently participating in out-of-school activities but wanting to (OR=2.60), and self-monitoring of physical activity (OR=4.42 to 7.50) were associated with future intention to participate in VSS. Adoption of the VSS program seems to inspire some tweens to initiate and sustain activity. VSS appealed to “tween” girls, an especially important priority audience because of the observed tendency of girls' physical activity to decline during the teen years. Moreover, VSS offered opportunity for trying a variety of games, sports, and action-oriented "fun" tasks for persons not previously predisposed to do so. Additionally, the tangible practice of monitoring physical activity (via the scorecard) appeared to have a favorable impact on intention to participate again in VSS. Implications for school and community based physical activity programs include structures that incorporate trialabilty and observability as mechanisms for increasing likelihood of program adoption.