Environmental resources moderate the relationship between social support and school sports participation among adolescents: a cross-sectional analysis

BACKGROUND: Most Americans are not active at recommended levels. Adolescence is a developmental period when physical activity (PA) decreases markedly. METHODS: This study investigates whether access to environmental PA resources moderates the relationship between psychosocial resources (social support and perceived competence) and PA among 192 adolescents. RESULTS: Environmental access to PA resources (determined via GIS-based assessment of the number of gyms, schools, trails, parks and athletic fields within 0.5 miles of each participant's home) moderated the association between social support and PA; among adolescents with high levels of environmental resources, greater social support was associated with students participating in a greater number of sports in school, whereas no such relationship emerged among adolescents with low environmental resources. CONCLUSIONS: PA-promotion interventions should aim to enhance both social and environmental resources; targeting either one alone may be insufficient.