1. The Effects of Physical Ac2vity on Adolescent Well-being
Julia Chris2an, OTS & Lisa Slade, OTS
Advisors: BriEney Muir, Ph.D. & Debra Allen, OTD, OTR/L
Sage Graduate School, Department of Occupa2onal Therapy
• Occupa2onal therapists, along with the rest of the
health care disciplines, were put to the test when
the Pa2ent Protec2on and Affordable Care Act
(ACA) of 2010 was passed1. This law has recognized
the importance of preven2ve care through
community-based health care and school based
health centers.
• Adolescence need for preven2ve care is great, due
to the constant threat of obesity2 and sedentary
behavior 3 surrounding them.
• With the use of physical ac2vity and it’s posi2ve
effects on overall wellness, occupa2onal therapists
can provide opportuni2es for adolescents to
engage in healthy habits throughout mul2ple
seWngs.
• Develop the associa2on of physical ac2vity and the
universal wellness of adolescents, while exploring
the opportuni2es of physical ac2vity on adolescent’s
occupa2on in the Capital Region of New York State.
• A mixed method cross-sec2onal paper survey was
distributed to 9-12th graders, male and female, age
ranging from 13-18 from N= 618 (Ichabod Crane
High School) and N= 323 (Catholic Central High
School). Adolescent par2cipants that took the
survey included N=32.
0
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0 1 2 3 4 5 6
PAQS
Friendship
0
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0 1 2 3 4 5 6
PAQS
Parent Engagement
CCHS
ICCHS
Linear(CCHS )
Linear(ICCHS)
0
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0 1 2 3 4 5 6
PAQS
Stress
Adolescents
Linear(Adolescents)
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0 1 2 3 4 5 6
PAQS
Stress
Male
Female
Linear(Male)
Linear(Female )
Figure 1: PAQS vs Friendship (A), Parent Engagement (B) & Stress (C&D)
Figure 2: Adolescent Barriers to Physical AcDvity
• Occupa2onal therapists can work with adolescents
to find out what mo2vates them and set up a
schedule to implement this mo2va2on into their
daily ac2vi2es.
• The literature supports that loca2on is a barrier for
adolescents who want to engage in physical
ac2vity5. Adolescents in our study and in
comparing research iden2fy living too far away and
having limited to no transporta2on as barriers to
par2cipa2ng in physical ac2vity, such as fitness
centers. Occupa2onal therapists could occupy this
space by developing a home exercise programs to
complete when adolescents are unable to exercise
within their community.
• In order for occupa2onal therapist to push for
community preventa2ve health programs, barriers
and mo2va2ng factors that contribute to physical
ac2vity need to be addressed to find the best-fit
program for this popula2on.
• Occupa2onal therapist can develop programs for
adolescents throughout school districts and within
communi2es to achieve overall physical and
mental well-being for this popula2on.
1Persch, A. C., et al, (2015). Healthy habits for children: Leveraging exis2ng evidence
to demonstrate value. AJOT, 69(4), 1-5.
2IannoW, R. J., & Wang, J. (2013). Trends in physical ac2vity, sedentary behavior, diet,
and BMI among US adolescents, 2001–2009. Pediatrics, 132(4), 606-614.
3CDC, 2014. Youth risk behavior surveillance – United States 2013. Morbidity &
Mortality Weekly Report, 63(SS04), 1–168.
4de la Haye, K., Robins, G., Mohr, P., & Wilson, C. (2011). How physical ac2vity shapes,
and is shaped by, adolescent friendships. Social Science & Medicine, 73(5),
719-728.
5Zheng J, An R. (2015). Sa2sfac2on with local exercise facility: A rural-urban
comparison in China. Rural and Remote Health, 15, 2990.
A B
C D
Figure 3: Adolescent Percentage of PAQS Score
• Adolescent physical ac2vity level showed a
associa2on with aspects of wellness within
adolescent occupa2ons.
• Figure 1A showed a rela2onship between physical
ac2vity and friendships, which corresponded to
adolescent self-esteem and was iden2fied as
overall wellness by par2cipants.
• This finding corresponds with de la Haye et al
(2011), who found that physical ac2vity had a
posi2ve rela2onship on friendships, which
contributed their self-esteem4.
• Friendship (Figure 1A) and parent engagement
(Figure 1B) were both iden2fied as a mo2va2ng
factors in engagement in physical ac2vity.
• The adolescent’s physical ac2vity score also
showed a posi2ve rela2onship in decreasing stress
(Figure 1C). Females showed to have the most
significant findings with PAQS on stress (Figure
1D).
0
22
28
47
3 0 0 0
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10
15
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25
30
35
40
45
50
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Adolescent %
PAQS