查看文章

Background

Inadequate physical activity in young people is associated with several physical and mental health concerns. Physical education (PE) is a potentially viable existing network for promoting physical activity in this population. However, little research has been conducted on whether PE teachers can influence students’ engagement in leisure-time physical activity. The present study therefore examined the efficacy of an intervention aimed at increasing PE teachers’ autonomy support on students’ leisure-time physical activity (the PETALS trial). The intervention was guided by the trans-contextual model (TCM) explaining the processes by which PE teachers’ provision of autonomy support during PE promotes students’ motivation and engagement in physical activity in their leisure time.

Methods

The study adopted a cluster-randomized, waitlist control intervention design with randomization by school. Participants were PE teachers (N= 29, 44.83% female; M age= 42.83, SD= 9.53 yrs) and their lower secondary school students (N= 502, 43.82% female; M age= 14.52, SD= 0.71 yrs). We measured TCM constructs, including perceived autonomy support, autonomous motivation in PE and leisure time, beliefs and intentions towards leisure-time physical activity, and physical activity behavior at baseline, post-intervention, and at one-, three-, and six-months. Study hypotheses were tested through a series of ANOVAs and structural equation models using post-intervention and one-month follow-up data.

Results

We found no changes in TCM constructs or physical activity behavior in either group at post-intervention or at one month. Path analyses …