It is unclear from these results whether sports programs , as currently offered , protect youth from becoming overweight or obese .
Sport is a promising setting for obesity prevention among youth , but little is known about whether it prevents obesity .
A prospective study of the determinants of physical activity in rural fifth-grade children.
BACKGROUND Underst and ing the factors that influence physical activity behavior is important in the design of intervention programs targeted at youth . METHODS A prospect i ve study design was used to identify the predictors of vigorous physical activity ( VPA ) ( > or = 6 METs ) and moderate and vigorous physical activity ( MVPA ) ( > or = 3 METs ) among 202 rural , predominantly African-American children . Selected social-cognitive determinants of physical activity were assessed via question naire in the fifth grade . Participation in VPA and MVPA was assessed via the previous day physical activity recall 1 year later in the sixth grade . RESULTS For girls , participation in community sports , self-efficacy in overcoming barriers , enjoyment of school physical education , race ( white > black ) , and perception of mother 's activity level ( active vs inactive ) were significant predictors of VPA . For  MVPA , participation in community sports and self-efficacy in overcoming barriers were significant predictors . For boys , self-efficacy in overcoming barriers was the only significant predictor of VPA , while beliefs regarding activity outcomes and participation in community sports were significant predictors of MVPA . CONCLUSION Social-cognitive constructs such as physical activity self-efficacy , access to community physical activity outlets , and positive beliefs regarding physical activity outcomes are important predictors of future physical activity behavior among rural , predominantly African-American children
It is unclear from these results whether sports programs , as currently offered , protect youth from becoming overweight or obese .
Sport is a promising setting for obesity prevention among youth , but little is known about whether it prevents obesity .