Review and special articleSocial Network Analysis of Childhood and Youth Physical Activity: A Systematic Review
Section snippets
Context
Physical activity is associated with improved physical and mental health in children and adolescents1 and can reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes,2 cancer,3 and cardiovascular disease4 in adulthood. By contrast, sedentary behaviors, such as TV viewing, personal computer and laptop use, and playing computer games, are associated with a higher risk of metabolic dysfunction and current and future obesity.5 Research has identified that activity levels in childhood and
Search Strategy
Seven bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, AMED, CINAHL, IBSS, and Sociological Abstracts) were searched in September 2011 using a combination of text and subject heading terms. Search strategies for each database are available on request from the review authors. Duplicates were removed, and retrieved records were screened by title and abstract against the inclusion criteria outlined below. Full-text versions of potentially eligible papers were obtained and screened for inclusion
Evidence Synthesis
Searching bibliographic databases yielded 1767 records for screening, of which 35 full-text papers were retrieved, and nine articles24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 from seven studies were included in the final review (Figure 1). Study details, with summaries of physical activity data, social network data, analytic methods, and findings are presented in Appendix A (available online at www.ajpmonline.org). All included studies examined school-based networks, with the majority of studies based
Discussion
This systematic review found strong evidence for similarities in physical activity behaviors within friendships, and among members of the same peer group. All six studies that investigated the effects of immediate friendships and wider peer groups found that ties were more likely to exist between individuals with similar physical activity behaviors. They also found that friends' physical activity was a positive predictor of an individual's physical activity.
There was mixed evidence for an
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