Social influences on physical activity in Anglo-Australian and Vietnamese-Australian adolescent females in a single sex school

Social support is a consistent correlate of youth physical activity (PA) but few studies have examined this in cultural sub-groups. Female adolescents In = 113; 13.9 +/- 0.6 years) from a metropolitan single sex private school participated in this study. PA was estimated using the 3 Day Physical Activity Recall 3dPAR), and aspects of social support using a specifically designed questionnaire. Anglo-Australians (n=74), whose parents were both born in Australia, were compared with Vietnamese-Australians (n=39), whose parents were both born in Vietnam. There were non-significant trends towards higher engagement in all measures of PA among Anglo-Australians. Anglo-Australians perceived higher levels of social support to be physically active. In the whole sample and in cultural sub-groups, support by mothers was a consistent predictor of PA. Among Vietnamese-Australians, activities shared with the mother predicted moderate to vigorous PA. Interventions targeting PA among adolescent females should consider interactions of social support and cultural background. (C) 2007 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.