UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN                                                                     FACT SHEET

DESIGN OF COMPUTER-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY COUNSELING
INTERVENTION FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS

What is the study about?
This project will develop and test the effectiveness of a computer-based interactive physical activity program to promote increased physical activity among sedentary girls between 10 and 14 years of age. The latest scientific findings regarding major influences on physical activity among European American and African American youth will inform development of the intervention. The computer programs and related materials will focus on assisting girls to have fun evaluating their personal level of activity, integrating physical activity into their daily lives and tracking their progress.

Who is funding and conducting the study?
This study is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The study is being conducted jointly by the School of Nursing and the Health Media Research Laboratory at the University of Michigan. The multi-disciplinary research team has knowledge and expertise in several areas critical to the study: child and adolescent development, adolescent research on behavior change, development of innovative state-of-the-science health communications, Web-based behavior change programs, and development of multimedia health risk appraisals and educational programs.

What is the importance of the study?
Numerous studies have found girls to be much less active than boys. Several studies have also found racial/ethnic differences in levels of activities and levels of obesity. Most studies report increasing obesity among adolescents. Sedentary lifestyle is considered to be a contributing factor to escalating obesity. With recent research indicating that level of physical activity tracks into adulthood, childhood and adolescence are critical developmental periods for behavioral interventions by health and education professionals to foster active lifestyles.

How will the study be conducted?
Major emphasis will be placed on the use of focus groups of girls to ensure that the assessment instruments and tailored messages designed for use in the computerized, tailored intervention will be culturally and developmentally appropriate as well as sensitive to behavior change. Two waves of focus groups organized by age and race/ethnic background will be recruited to provide strategic input during development of the intervention. Once developed, field evaluation of the intervention program will be conducted in school and clinical settings to determine its effectiveness in increasing physical activity.

Who has more information about the girls' physical activity intervention study?
Principal Investigators:

Nola Pender, Ph.D. (School of Nursing)
Lorraine Robbins, Ph.D. (School of Nursing)

Unto Pallonen, Ph.D. (School of Public Health)

Edward Saunders, M.S. (Health Media Research Laboratory)