Movement in Middle School – Application of the Transtheoretical Model in Assessing Physical Activity Barriers and Behaviors

Background: The CDC recommends that youth aged 6-17 years should do at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (PA) daily, but many adolescents do not meet this recommendation. The transtheoretical model (TTM) is a behavior change model that identifies stages of readiness (pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance) for meeting a goal. Each stage assesses current behaviors, as well as intention and self-efficacy to make the behavior change. Objectives: The objective of this study was to apply the TTM to assess self-reported amounts of PA being completed by middle school students, to identify modifiable barriers …