Kyra Hamilton has found teenagers' perceptions can
affect their health.

Teens who perceive physical activity as difficult or boring, or who are not surrounded by active peers, are more likely to lead sedentary lifestyles which may put them at risk of health problems, according to a QUT researcher.

Kyra Hamilton recently completed a Bachelor of Psychology Honours degree, focusing on predictors of regular physical activity among teens.

Ms Hamilton, who also has 15 years nursing experience, said that the results were split fairly evenly down the middle: just under half (42 per cent) of the 423 teens surveyed were regularly active, and just over half (58 per cent) were not active on a regular basis.

"We need to get children and teenagers more active, and obesity rates are rising all the time, so I was interested in looking at the attitudes and beliefs of teens towards physical exercise, and how that influenced their activity levels," she said.

"Research shows that physical activity levels really drop off around age 14."

Ms Hamilton said teens who were regularly active were defined as those who performed moderate to vigorous physical activity for 60 minutes, five days a week.

"Those kids who reported a high level of activity during the seven days we focussed on had more confidence in their ability to perform the behaviours well, thinking of them as easy to perform, and they did not worry about obstacles such as bad weather, lack of time or low motivation," she said.

"Those who perceived pressure from teachers, friends, or family members, and were surrounded by friends who were active were also more likely to be regularly active themselves and it also helped if those teens thought of themselves generally as a physically active person.

"Teens who thought physical activity was fun, and a chance to spend time with their friends were likely to be physically active while teens who rated physical activity as hard work were less likely to be regularly active."

She said she thought looking at ways to motivate teens and increase their confidence in their ability to perform the activities would be a good way to get them active.

"We need to be able to promote physical activity as a fun, integral part of life, and ensure that school and family environments are places which encourage teens being active," she said.

"We also need to look closely at things that motivate kids across a broad range of ages, as well as what influences inactivity, and there is a lot of room for further study into what might change kids' attitudes in theses areas.

"Given the decline in kids' physical activity with age and the current crisis of national childhood obesity, it is important to research the factors that influence regular physical activity so that effective interventions can be designed and tested."