文章基本信息

标题：Influence of Friends on Children’s Physical Activity: A Review
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作者：Claire C. Maturo ; Solveig A. Cunningham
期刊名称：American journal of public health
印刷版ISSN：0090-0036
出版年度：2013
卷号：103
期号：7
页码：e23-e38
DOI：10.2105/AJPH.2013.301366
语种：English
出版社：American Public Health Association
摘要：We examined evidence for friendship influences on children's physical activity (PA) through systematic searches of online databases in May 2012. We identified 106 studies (25 qualitative) published in English since 2000 that analyzed indicators of friendship influences (e.g., communication about PA, friends’ PA, and PA with friends) among persons younger than 19 years. Children's PA was positively associated with encouragement from friends (43 of 55 studies indicating a positive relationship), friends' own PA (30/35), and engagement with friends in PA (9/10). These findings are consistent with friends influencing PA, but most studies did not isolate influence from other factors that could explain similarity. Understanding friendship influences in childhood can facilitate the promotion of lifelong healthy habits. PA with friends should be considered in health promotion programs. Extensive research has linked physical activity to health and inactivity to poor health, especially to obesity and other cardiometabolic problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 1–3 Increases in overweight, obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome among children and adolescents over the past few decades 4–7 have stimulated a surge of research into possible contributing factors, including insufficient physical activity. 8–10 In spite of its health benefits, physical activity is declining around the world. 11 In the United States, levels of physical activity in children and adolescents are not sufficient to promote optimal health. 12 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children and adolescents be active for at least 60 minutes per day, but in 2009, only 18.4% of adolescents reported this much physical activity and 23.1% of adolescents reported not participating in 60 minutes of physical activity on any day. 13,14 A factor that may affect health behaviors that has received increasing attention in recent years is social influence. Research has suggested that family, friends, and peers can guide behaviors such as smoking, sexual initiation, and eating behaviors. 15–19 Influences from these close contacts can occur through social pressure, social modeling and imitation, social comparison, and behavior approximation. 20 However, not all social relations are equally important: the closer and stronger the connection, the broader and stronger the possibilities for influence. 21,22 Information transmitted from friends is generally more clearly understood and more likely to be internalized than is information from others, meaning that friends may be more influential than other social contacts, 23–26 such as cliques and peer groups. 24,27,28 Although social influences on physical activity can occur throughout life, they are particularly important to study in children and adolescents, for several reasons. First, childhood and adolescence are a formative period when friends are a primary point of reference 29,30 in deciding which behaviors, values, and attitudes are desirable and which activities warrant effort. 31–34 Friends have been shown to affect timing of first sexual intercourse, drug use, delinquency, and educational attainment among adolescents. 31,32,35–42 Second, physical activity tracks across life: activity levels during adolescence predict adult levels, and active children and adolescents are more likely to become active adults. 43 Third, physical activity often decreases during adolescence, so children and adolescents may be the most important age groups to target for interventions to establish lifelong activity levels. 44 Finally, the development of successful interventions to increase physical activity in children and adolescents requires an understanding of the unique determinants of physical activity at these ages. Quantifying the extent to which friends can promote or discourage physical activity is critical for understanding why physical activity levels are decreasing and for developing strategies to promote active lifestyles. We reviewed the literature to determine the role of friends in shaping physical activity among children and adolescents.