ABSTRACT
Enhancing quality of life (QOL) is perhaps the cornerstone of health promotion, yet efforts bridging QOL and health behavior have been scarce. Over the past two decades, physical activity has gained increased attention for its contribution to quality of life, and its role in prevention of premature disease and disability. Hence, relationships between one crucial aspect of QOL, perceived life satisfaction, and physical activity behaviors were examined in a statewide sample of adolescents (n=4,758) using the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and the Brief Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS). Analyses were conducted by race and gender (WF, BF, WM, BM). Adjusted polytomous logistic regression analyses and multivariate models (via SUDAAN) were constructed separately and revealed a significant race by gender interaction for each race by gender group. Not exercising for 20 minutes over the past 7 days (sweating and hard breathing), not performing stretching exercising (past 7 days), not exercising to strengthen or tone muscles (past 7 days), spending < 20 minutes actually exercising or playing sports in PE class, not playing on sport teams run by school, and not playing on sport teams run by outside school organizations were associated (p<.05) with reduced life satisfaction. Measures of life satisfaction as a component of comprehensive assessments of adolescent physical activity behaviors in fieldwork, research, social and health policy formulation, and program-evaluation efforts should be considered. Furthermore, schools, worksites, and community organizations should deliver developmentally appropriate, comprehensive health and physical education programs that provide and promote enjoyable experiences with physical activity which, in turn, build exercise self-efficacy and lifelong participation in physical activity.