Physical activity, free time motivation, and perceptions of middle school children
By Francis M. Kozub and James Farmer, Indiana University

Inactivity and obesity are public health concerns that are global in proportion (Vincent, Pangrazi, Raustorp, Tompson, & Cuddihy, 2003). These concerns are equally valid for younger adolescent age children. Factors such as motivation are believed influential as potential predictors of which individuals will choose physical activity over other more sedentary pursuits based on levels of enjoyment and perceived benefits that result from movement experiences (Kosma, Cardinal, & Rintala, 2002). The current study examined physical activity, free time motivation, and perceptions of physical activity in middle school age children (N = 252). Three phases of data collection included surveying an initial pool of participants and identifying a range of motivational profiles to take part in more intense physical activity monitoring. Later, select participants were engaged in semi-structure interviews in an attempt to extract themes for key health-related concepts concerning physical activity. Results indicated that external motivational factors were correlated to minutes of Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA) per day for a participants engaging in all three phases of the study (r = .31, p < .05, n = 56). A school (private versus public) X gender comparison was run on the five motivational scale scores and MVPA of participants. This 2 X 2 multivariate analysis of variance indicated that males had higher activity levels than females, F(1, 55) = 11.92, p > .001, Eta 2 = 19, with no differences noted between public versus private school participants (p > .01). A continuum of five influences emerged that are theorized to impact free time decision making related to physical activity, including rules, followed by fun, success, dedication, and finally passion. The professional implications of these results are that attempts to increase physical activity have gone beyond mandating basic physical education programs and having parents enroll children in recreation programs. Practitioners have to design interventions that influence children at levels stimulating perceptions of success and deeper motivational factors. These data demonstrate that some middle school age children do not engage in the recommended MVPA as per the CDC recommendations (Department of Health and Human Services, 2005). The concepts of fitness and health are in some cases weight and body size based, creating a concern about body image for some participants. Further, children who are successful and have strong feelings about physical activity were found in this sample of middle school children and evidence of high amounts of MVPA resulted.