Peer-Victimization during Physical Education and Enjoyment of Physical Activity

Using data from a regional census of high school students, we have documented the prevalence of cyberbullying and school bullying victimization and their associations with psychological distress. In the fall of 2008, 20,406 ninth- through twelfth-grade students in MetroWest Massachusetts completed surveys assessing their bullying victimization and psychological distress, including depressive symptoms, self-injury, and suicidality. A total of 15.8% of students reported cyberbullying and 25.9% reported school bullying in the past 12 months. A majority (59.7%) of cyberbullying victims were also school bullying victims; 36.3% of school bullying victims were also cyberbullying victims. Victimization was higher among nonheterosexually identified youths. Victims report lower school performance and school attachment. Controlled analyses indicated that distress was highest among victims of both cyberbullying and school bullying (adjusted odds ratios [AORs] were from 4.38 for depressive symptoms to 5.35 for suicide attempts requiring medical treatment). Victims of either form of bullying alone also reported elevated levels of distress. Our findings confirm the need for prevention efforts that address both forms of bullying and their relation to school performance and mental health.

Enjoyment has been implicated as a determinant of physical activity among youth, but advances in understanding its importance have been limited by the use of measures that were not adequately validated. The present study examined: (1) the factorial validity of the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES), and (2) the construct validity of PACES scores. Adolescent girls (N=1797), who were randomly assigned to calibration (n=899) and cross-validation (n=898) samples, completed the PACES and measures of factors influencing enjoyment of physical education, physical activity, and sport involvement. The factorial validity of the PACES and the measure of factors influencing enjoyment of physical education was tested using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The hypothesized relationships among the measures were tested using structural equation modeling. Unidimensional models fit the PACES and the measure of factors influencing enjoyment of physical education in the calibration and cross-validation samples. The hypothesized relationships between the PACES and the measures of factors influencing enjoyment of physical education, physical activity, and sport involvement were supported in the entire sample, were similar in African-American and Caucasian girls, and were independent of physical fitness. Evidence of factorial validity and convergent evidence for construct validity indicate that the PACES is a valid measure of physical activity enjoyment among adolescent girls, suitable for use as a mediator variable in interventions designed to increase physical activity.