A. Carlin awarded NS Irish Section Best Overall Student Oral Communication prize
The prevention and management of obesity is a major public health priority, with almost one third of children in Northern Ireland now classified as overweight or obese( 1 ). The promotion of physical activity is often a key focus of public health efforts to reverse such trends in childhood obesity( Reference Van Sluijs, McMinn and Griffin 2 ). The aim of this study was to gain an insight into the attitudes and thoughts of young people (aged 11–14 years) in relation to physical activity and to explore what approaches this age group would find most helpful in encouraging them to increase or maintain their current levels of physical activity.
180 pupils were recruited from 3 post-primary schools. All participants completed the PAQ-C( Reference Kowalski, Crocker and Donen 3 ) and underwent measurements of height and weight. A sub-sample (n = 64; 39 females; 25 males) of participants were selected to take part in focus group discussions, with groups formed based on physical activity scores derived from the PAQ-C (i.e. low or high active groups). 9 focus groups with five to eight participants in each group were conducted; 3 groups of ‘highly active’ participants and 6 groups of ‘low active’ participants. Participants' views on physical activity, including current influences and how best to promote physical activity, were explored using a semi-structured topic guide. Focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded and analysed using thematic analysis( Reference Braun and Clarke 4 ).
Major themes emerged within two main areas, namely (1) current influences on physical activity and (2) how to increase participation in physical activity. These themes are highlighted below, supported by quotes from participants:
A number of key influences on current physical activity were identified including a number of barriers, such as time, cost and access to resources, which participants felt needed to be overcome to facilitate their participation in physical activity. Such influences should be considered, alongside suggestions from participants on how best to promote physical activity, within future public health initiatives targeted at promoting physical activity among children and young people.
