Triple constraints and physical activity in adolescent girls: The mediating role of social physical anxiety (based on nonlinear education)

The aim of this study was to model the structural equations of the relationship between Newell constraints (individual, task and environment constraints) and the amount of physical activity in adolescent girls as well as the mediating role of social physical anxiety in the relationship between them. In this cross-sectional-correlational study, 318 female subjects (15-17 years old) were selected from the secondary school students of Tabriz by multi-stage cluster random sampling method. Demographic information questionnaire, researcher-made questionnaire of personal, environmental and homework factors, social support for exercise survey, physical activity questionnaire for adolescents and Hart's social physical anxiety scale were used to collect data. Data analysis was performed using Pearson correlation statistical method in SPSS23 software. In addition to descriptive statistics, structural equation modeling was used in LISREL10.20 software. The results showed a direct path of the three constraints (individual, environment and task) to social physical anxiety and the amount of physical activity; The direct path of social physical anxiety to the amount of physical activity, and the indirect path of the three constraints to the amount of physical activity are significant with the mediating role of social physical anxiety. The results of this study shed light on the role of social support for parents as well as friends for adolescents' participation in physical activity. It should be noted that various levels of different factors such as supportive and social environments can interact with each other to affect the amount of physical activity as an important health behavior in adolescent girls.