| Bright
Futures in Practice: Physical Activity |
GIRLS
AND FEMALE ADOLESCENTS IN
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
 Physical
Activity Supervision
Following
are interview questions and counseling strategies for
girls and female adolescents. Additional interview questions
and counseling strategies, as well as screening and assessment
guidelines, are presented in the Infancy, Early
Childhood, Middle Childhood,
and Adolescence chapters.
Interview
Questions
For
Girls and Female Adolescents
Do
you participate in regular physical activity (for example,
30 minutes or more on most, if not all, days of the week)?
If not, why?
Do
you enjoy any physical activities? If so, which ones?
Why?
Which
physical activities are you good at?
Have
you ever been injured while participating in physical
activity?
Do
your parents or other adults participate in physical
activity with you?
Do
you use appropriate safety equipment (for example, helmet,
wrist guards, elbow and knee pads) when you participate
in physical activity?
Do
you wear a sports bra or top that fits your body and
is comfortable?
Have
you begun to menstruate? If so, how old were you when
you got your first period?
Do
you have a period every month?
What
did you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner yesterday?
What did you eat for snacks?
For
Parents
Do you encourage
your daughter to participate in physical activity?
Are
you physically active yourself? If so, what type of activities
do you participate in?
Do
you participate in physical activity with your daughter?
Do
you help organize physical activities for girls and female
adolescents in your community?
Are you helping
your daughter develop a positive body image? If so, how?
Counseling
Infancy
and Early Childhood
Infants
(newborn to 1 year) and children in early childhood (1
to 4 years) need opportunities to experience movement and
develop fundamental motor skills. Parents can provide these
opportunities by encouraging their female infants and children
to participate in developmentally appropriate physical
activities they enjoy.
Middle
Childhood
Children in middle
childhood (ages 5 to 11) usually shift from movement activities
(e.g., playing games, dancing) to activities that help them
develop the motor skills needed for other physical activities
(e.g., soccer, baseball). Parents should encourage their
female children to participate in a variety of developmentally
appropriate activities that they enjoy and that increase
their confidence. This can help keep girls interested in
physical activity and encourage them to lead active lives.
Parents
can be positive role models by participating in physical
activity themselves and can encourage their female children
to be physically active. Families can plan and participate
in physical activity together, which can help children
incorporate physical activity into their daily lives.
Adolescence
During
early adolescence (ages 11 to 14) and puberty, females
may be stronger, faster, and larger than their male peers,
who enter puberty later. Physical activity continues to
be appropriate for females and males to participate in
together. To promote participation and enhance enjoyment,
physical education teachers and coaches should establish
teams based on skill levels rather than sex. However, if
weight and strength differences are great enough to pose
a safety concern, activities should be limited to noncollision
physical activities and sports.
After
puberty, female adolescents may not be as strong, fast,
or large as their male counterparts and may no longer be
able to participate in physical activity with them on an
equal basis. However, female adolescents experience changes
in height, weight, strength, and endurance on an individual
basis; therefore, participation in coeducational physical
activity depends on the individual.
Female adolescents'
body weight and percentage of body fat normally increase
during adolescence. Female adolescents usually gain weight
before their height spurt, often leading them to believe
that they are overweight and resulting in a negative
body image. Healthy eating and physical activity behaviors
can help female adolescents obtain and maintain a healthy
weight and develop a positive body image.
References
-
National
Federation of State High School Associations. 1998.
1998 Athletics Participation Survey. Kansas City,
MO: National Federation of State High School Associations.
-
Kann
L, Warren CW, Harris WA, Collins JL, Williams BI,
et al. 1996. Youth risk behavior surveillance--United
States, 1995. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report:
CDC Surveillance Summaries 45(4):1–84.
-
President's
Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. 1997. President's
Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Report:
Physical Activity and Sport in the Lives of Girls--Physical
and Mental Health Dimensions from an Interdisciplinary
Approach. Washington, DC: President's Council on
Physical Fitness and Sports.
-
Sabo
D, Miller K, Farrell M, Barnes G, Melnick M. 1998.
The Women's Sports Foundation Report: Sport and
Teen Pregnancy. East Meadow, NY: Women's Sports
Foundation.
-
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center
for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion;
President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
1996. Physical Activity and Health: A Report of
the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
-
Otis
CL, Drinkwater B, Johnson M, Loucks A, Wilmore J.
1997. American College of Sports Medicine Position
Stand: The Female Athlete Triad. Medicine Science
Sports and Exercise 29(5):i–ix.
-
Kleinman
RE, ed. 1998. Pediatric Nutrition Handbook (4th
ed.). Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of
Pediatrics.
Suggested
Reading
American
Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Sports Medicine
and Fitness. 2000. Medical concerns in the female athlete.
Pediatrics 106(3):610–613.
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