Understanding Native Hawaiian And Pacific Islander Youth Physical Activity And Attitude Toward Physical Activity

PURPOSE: Global physical activity (PA) levels are insufficient, despite benefits like reduced cardiovascular disease risk. Less than half of youth meet PA guidelines, with even lower rates among people of color, especially Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (NHPI), who experience high rates of chronic disease. Only about half of NHPI adults and 23% of NHPI youth meet PA guidelines. Early adoption of active lifestyles is crucial for preventing obesity and related chronic conditions. Attitudes toward PA and physical education (PE), influenced by the Theory of Planned Behavior, are key predictors of PA behavior. This exploratory study examines PA attitudes and levels among NHPI youth, an understudied population. METHODS: Following IRB approval, 731 NHPI students (44.7% female; Mage = 13.2 years) from 10 schools (5 elementary, 5 secondary) completed surveys as part of a larger health study on NH youth. Students reported demographic data, including age, gender, grade, and race/ethnicity, and completed validated measures: Student Attitudes Towards Physical Education (SATPE), Youth Physical Activity Attitude Scale (YPAAS), social support for PA, and self-reported PA time (CDC). Data were cleaned and analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS: On average, students engaged in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) 4 days per week for 60 minutes per day. Regression analysis, controlling for gender, age, and school, showed that a positive PA attitude significantly predicted MVPA frequency (F(7,723) = 110.31, p < .001, Adj.R2 = 0.51). Further analysis found that both classmate and parental social support significantly influenced PA attitudes (F(6,557) = 30.98, p < .001, Adj.R2 = .24). CONCLUSION: Designing effective, culturally relevant PA interventions for NHPI youth requires a nuanced understanding of their PA behaviors and attitudes. Given the limited data on this group, these findings provide valuable insights, underscoring the importance of social support and positive attitudes in fostering PA among NHPI youth. This study contributes essential information to address health disparities through targeted PA programming. Supported by: Funded through the Native Hawaiian Education Fund, USDOE