Favoriser la pratique d'activités physiques des adolescentes en contexte scolaire

Abstract

In Canada, 18% of adolescent girls meet the recommendation to perform at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (PA) per day, compared to 29% of adolescent boys. The objective of this study is to identify and characterize the facilitating factors, obstacles and perceived needs of high school adolescent girls, with regard to interventions aimed at maintaining or improving their PA at school. An online questionnaire was completed by 77 adolescent girls and 62 adolescents boys attending 4 secondary schools, then 100 adolescents participated in one of the 16 discussion groups (8 groups per sex) to validate, qualify and deepen the answers collected. Z tests between 2 proportions were performed to analyze quantitative data, while qualitative data went under inductive and deductive content analysis. The results show that it is imperative to adopt a differentiated approach to give everyone equal access to PA opportunities in the school context. Student consultation, the increase in the prescribed time for Physical and Health Education courses and an important effort to establish good communication between stakeholders and students, among other actions, should be given priority to improve the effectiveness of the interventions implemented.

Keywords: Physical activity; adolescent girls; secondary school; facilitating factors; obstacles; needs.