Background

The study proposes to examine the factors that influence change in physical activity in boys and girls as they transition from elementary to middle school. The proposed study will be unique in applying state-of-the-art measures and multi-level modeling strategies in examining the mechanisms that underlie change in physical activity during the transition from childhood to adolescence. The study's findings will markedly expand the body of knowledge regarding the influences on development of physical activity behavior in youth. The major objectives of the study are:

To determine the influences of personal social-cognitive, family, neighborhood, school, and community factors on changes in physical activity in African American and white boys and girls as they transition from elementary to middle school.
To examine the effects of gender, race and neighborhood environment on factors influencing changes in physical activity as African American and white children transition from elementary to middle school.

Involvement

Recruitment began in the fall of 2010. Over 1100 5th graders were recruited to participate in the study. Each participant will complete all measures each year of the study, during their 5th grade, 6th grade and 7th grade years.

Project Details

Timeline: 2008 - 2012
Funding Source: NIH
Principal Investigator: Russell R. Pate
Co-Investigator(s): Ruth Saunders, Cheryl Addy, Rod Dishman, Natalie Colabianchi, Lyndie Carney-Forthofer, Dwayne Porter

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Transitions and Activity Changes in Kids 2 (TRACK 2)

 

Overview

TRACK 2 continues the work in the cohort established in the TRACK project which examined the factors that explain the changes in objectively-measured physical activity as children transition from elementary to middle school. TRACK 2 is following the cohort into high school and is currently measuring participants again as 9th and 11th graders.

A major goal of TRACK 2 is to inform future interventions to increase physical activity in youth by identify factors that explain changes in physical activity behavior among children transition from elementary school through middle school and into high school. A second goal is to expend the body of knowledge regarding the relationship between physical activity and other important health indicators, such as body fatness, during childhood and adolescence.

The following specific aims are currently being addressed:

• Aim 1 – To identify personal, social environmental and physical environmental factors that influence the age-related trajectory for physical activity in youth as they transition from elementary school to high school.
• Aim 2 – To describe the longitudinal associations among physical activity, sedentary behavior and measures of body weight status in youth as they transition from elementary school to high school.
• Aim 3 – To describe the relationship between physical activity, observed longitudinally during childhood and adolescence, and selected health indicators in high school students.

Project Details

Timeline: 2014 - 2017
Funding Source: NHLBI
Principal Investigator: Russell R. Pate
Co-Investigator(s): Chery Addy, Ruth Saunders, Dwayne Porter, Melinda Forthofer, Daheia Barr-Anderson, Marsha Dowda, Kerry McIver

Publications

Pate RR, Dowda M, Dishman RK, Saunders RP, Cordan K, Shull E, Bucko A, Colabianchi N. Determinants of Change in Physical Activity in Children during the Transition from Elementary to High School. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2024 Jul 1; 56(7):1275-1284. [pdf]

Pate RR, Dowda M, Dishman RK, Gorab J, Bucko A, Saunders RP. Longitudinal association of biological maturation with physical activity behaviors in girls transitioning from 5th to 7th grade. Am J Hum Biol. 2022, e23737. [pdf]

Pate RR, Saunders RP, Taverno Ross SE, Dowda M. Patterns of age-related change in physical activity during the transition from elementary to high school. Preventive Medicine Reports. 2022; 26:101712. [pdf]

Bucko AG, Porter DE, Saunders R, Shirley L, Dowda M, Pate RR. Walkability indices and children's walking behavior in rural vs. urban areas. Health and Place. 2021; 102707.

Dowda M, Dishman RK, Saunders RP, Pate RR. Associations between three measures of physical activity and selected influences on physical activity in youth transitioning from elementary to middle school. Sports Medicine and Health Science. 2021; 3:21-27. 

Pate RR, Dowda M, Saunders R, Colabianchi N, Clennin M, McIver KL, Militello G, Bucko A, Porter D, Shirley WL. Operationalizing and Testing the Concept of a Physical Activity Desert. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 2021 March 30. [pdf]

Shull ER, Dowda M, Saunders RP, McIver K, Pate RR. Sport participation, physical activity and sedentary behavior in the transition from middle school to high school. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2020; 23:385 - 389. 

Dowda M, Saunders RP, Colabianchi N, Dishman RK, McIver KL, Pate RR. Longitudinal associations between psycosocial, home, and neighborhood factors and children's physical activity. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 2020;17:306-312. [pdf]

Clennin M, Brown A, Lian M, Dowda M, Colabianchi N, Pate RR. Neighborhood Socioeconomic Deprivation Associated with Fat Mass and Weight Status in Youth. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020 Sep; 17(17):6421.[pdf]

Saunders RP, Dishman RK, Dowda M, Pate RR. Personal, Social, and Environmental Influences on Physical Activity in Groups of Children as Defined by Different Physical Activity Patterns. Journal of Physial Activity and Health. 2020 Jul 30;1-7.  [pdf]

Ross SE, Militello G, Dowda M,  Pate, RR. Changes in Diet Quality in Youth Living in South Carolina From Fifth to 11th Grade. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 2020 April. [pdf]

Clennin MN, Lian M, Colabianchi N, Kacynski A, Dowda M, Pate RR. Associations among neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation, physical activity facilities, and physical activity in youth during the transition from childhood to adolescence. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019;16c3703. [pdf]

Dishman RK, McIver KL, Dowda M, Saunders RP, Pate RR. Self-efficacy, beliefs, and goals: Moderation of declining physical activity during adolescence. Health Psychol. 2019;38:483-493. [pdf]

Colabianchi N, Clennin MN, Dowda M, McIver KL, Dishman RK, Porter DE, Pate RR. Moderating effect of the neighborhood physical activity environment on the relation between between psychosocial factors and physical activity in children: A longitudinal study. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2019;73:598-604. [pdf]

Pate RR, Schenkelberg MA, Dowda M, McIver KL. Group based physical activity trajectories in children transitioning from elementary to high school. BMC Public Health. 2019;19:323. [pdf]

Pate RR, Dowda M, Dishman RK, Colabianchi N, Saunders RP, McIver KL. Change in children's physical activity: Predictors in the transition from elementary to middle school. Am J Prev Med. 2019;56:e65-e73. 

Dishman RK, McIver KL, Dowda M, Pate RR. Declining Physical Activity and Motivation from Middle School to High School. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 2018 Jun;50(6):1206-15.[pdf]

Ross SE, Clennin MN, Dowda M, Colabianchi N, Pate RR. Stepping It Up: Walking Behaviors in Children Transitioning from 5th to 7th Grade. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2018 Feb 3;15(2):262.[pdf]

Saunders RP, Dowda M, Mciver K, McDonald SM, Pate RR. Physical and social contexts of physical activity behaviors of fifth and seventh grade youth. Journal of school health. 2018 Feb;88(2):122-31.[pdf]

Forthofer M, Dowda M, O’Neill JR, Addy CL, McDonald S, Reid L, Pate RR. Effect of Child Gender and Psychosocial Factors on Physical Activity From Fifth to Sixth Grade. Journal of physical activity and health. 2017 Dec 1;14(12):953-8.[pdf]

Barr-Anderson DJ, Flynn JI, Dowda M, Ross SE, Schenkelberg MA, Reid LA, Pate RR. The modifying effects of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status on the change in physical activity from elementary to middle school. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2017 Nov 1;61(5):562-70.[pdf]

Lau EY, Dowda M, McIver KL, Pate RR. Changes in physical activity in the school, afterschool, and evening periods during the transition from elementary to middle school. Journal of School Health. 2017 Jul;87(7):531-7.[pdf]

Dishman RK, Dowda M, McIver KL, Saunders RP, Pate RR. Naturally-occurring changes in social-cognitive factors modify change in physical activity during early adolescence. PloS one. 2017 Feb 10;12(2):e0172040.[pdf]

Dowda M, Taverno Ross SE, McIver KL, Dishman RK, Pate RR. Physical activity and changes in adiposity in the transition from elementary to middle school. Childhood Obesity. 2017 Feb 1;13(1):53-62.[pdf]

Colabianchi N, Griffin JL, McIver KL, Dowda M, Pate RR. Where are children active and does it matter for physical activity? A latent transition analysis. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 2016 Dec;13(12):1294-300.[pdf]

Ross T, Sharon E, Dowda M, Dishman RK, Pate RR. Classes of physical activity and sedentary behavior in 5th grade children. American journal of health behavior. 2016 May 1;40(3):352-61.[pdf]

Forthofer M, Dowda M, McIver K, Barr-Anderson DJ, Pate R. Associations between maternal support and physical activity among 5th grade students. Maternal and child health journal. 2016 Mar 1;20(3):720-9.[pdf]

Dishman RK, McIver KL, Dowda M, Saunders RP, Pate RR. Motivation and behavioral regulation of physical activity in middle-school students. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 2015 Sep;47(9):1913.[pdf]

McDonald S, Dowda M, Colabianchi N, Porter D, Dishman RK, Pate RR. Perceptions of the neighborhood environment and children’s afterschool moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Pediatric exercise science. 2015 May;27(2):243-51.[pdf]

Lau EY, Barr-Anderson DJ, Dowda M, Forthofer M, Saunders RP, Pate RR. Associations between home environment and after-school physical activity and sedentary time among 6th grade children. Pediatric exercise science. 2015 May;27(2):226-33.[pdf]

Ross SET, Byun W, Dowda M, McIver KL, Saunders RP, Pate RR. Sedentary behaviors in fifth-grade boys and girls: Where, with Whom, and Why? Childhood Obesity. 2013;9. [pdf]

Dishman RK, Saunders RP, McIver KL, Dowda M, Pate RR. Construct Validity of Selected Measures of Physical Activity Beliefs and Motives in Fifth and Sixth Grade Boys and Girls. 2013 Jun; 38 (5). [pdf]

Taverno Ross SE, Dowda M, Colabianchi N, Saunders R, Pate RR. After-school setting, physical activity, and sedentary behavior in 5th grade boys and girls. Health and Place. 2012;18:951-955.