A community-driven approach to physical activity promotion for adolescent girls using text messaging and social media

Introduction: Latina adolescent girls are less physically active than the general adolescent population, contributing to higher levels of obesity and related chronic disease. The Physical Activity Partnership for Girls (PG) is a community-academic research partnership addressing the needs of Latina adolescent girls (ages 11-14) in urban, economically disadvantaged communities in San Antonio, Texas. Academic partners include experts in health promotion, physical activity (PA), and mobile technology engineering. The primary community partner is a local Girl Scout council. Methods: PG used a community-based participatory approach with qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods (focus groups, photovoice, surveys) to elicit perspectives about PA needs and priorities among Latina girls. Results: Data were collected from a media survey (N=102) assessing girls' use of and access to technology, parent focus groups (N=4), and community stakeholder surveys (N=25). Analyses revealed that text messaging and social networking are promising strategies for improving girls' PA behaviors. Discussion: Findings helped develop PG's innovative, multi-level community-based intervention, “Be Fit with Friends,” (BFF) which uses existing social networks and community resources to increase PA and decrease sedentary behaviors in this high-risk group. BFF features small-group sessions to stimulate girls' PA (educational introductions and recreational equipment, such as active gaming), parent/family education, and promotion of community and on-your-own PA opportunities. Integral to BFF is the implementation of popular technological tools for girls' education, outreach, and social support: text messaging and social media. We will share pilot intervention results and discuss lessons learned about using text messaging and social media in PA interventions.