Perception of difficulties for the practice of physical activity in adolescent girls and their evolution with age

The purpose of this study is to analyze the perceived barriers to physical activity in adolescent girls, in order to know which of these difficulties are valued as more relevant, and how they evolve and change with age. Participants were 2809 girls (12-17 years-old), students of Secondary Education of the Community of Madrid, representative sample of the total population of that community. Results confirm that the level of perceived barriers increases with age, and that “lack of time” was pointed out as the main difficulty. However, adolescent girls, in general, do not perceive great barriers for the practice of physical activity. These facts suggest that the low level of physical activity registered among this population can’t be explained only by perceived barriers. These findings can be used in the design of PA promotion programs.