Biological Maturation, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behaviour among Korean Adolescents

• Author / Creator

  Lee, Eun Young

• The purposes of this thesis were to (1) examine the role of pubertal timing in sex differences in physical activity and sedentary behaviour in a representative sample of Korean adolescents, (2) investigate the roles of psychosocial correlates of the relationship between pubertal status and physical activity among Korean girls, and (3) test links between pubertal timing and screen-time among Korean adolescents. Three studies were conducted to achieve these research purposes.
  
  Study 1 examined whether pubertal timing mediates the relationship between sex and physical activity, and sedentary behaviour. Though pubertal timing mediated the relationship between sex and sedentary behaviour, sex was an important predictor of physical activity and sedentary behaviour, regardless of the variations in pubertal timing among Korean adolescents.
  Study 2 examined whether body fatness (i.e., body mass index and % body fat), sport competence, perceived barriers to physical activity, and self-efficacy mediated, and parental support moderated the relationships between pubertal status and physical activity among Korean adolescent girls. Body fatness, perceived barriers to PA, and self-efficacy mediated the relationship between pubertal status and PA. Parental support did not moderate the relationship between pubertal status and physical activity.
  Study 3 tested links between pubertal timing at Grade 8 and screen-time at Grade 9 among Korean adolescent boys and girls. No direct effect of pubertal timing on screen-time was found. An indirect effect of pubertal timing on screen-time through BMI existed among boys. Among girls, pubertal timing negatively predicted BMI; however, no mediation effect of BMI between pubertal timing and screen-time was observed. No mediation effect of self-esteem or depression was found among boys and girls.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Screen-time
  • Sedentary behaviours
  • Pubertal status
  • Korean adolescents
  • Pubertal timing
  • Physical activity
  • Biological maturation
  • Self-efficacy

• Graduation date

  Fall 2015

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Doctor of Philosophy

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3FT8DS7V

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.