Psychosocial moderators of associations between life events and changes in physical activity after leaving high school

• Leisure-time physical activity changes in rural high school leavers were examined.
• LTPA declined with more than 1 h/week after leaving high school.
• Moving out of home was not associated with the LTPA decline.
• School leavers who continued full-time education had a smaller LTPA decline.
• Sports club membership during adolescence may protect against declines in LTPA.

ObjectivesTo examine 1) associations between life events and changes in leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in school leavers and 2) whether these associations are moderated by psychosocial factors.MethodsFinal year students (n = 440) from high schools in rural Western Australia completed annual telephone interviews on three occasions; baseline (T1), one-year follow-up (T2; n = 440) and two-year follow-up (T3; n = 374). LTPA was measured using the Minnesota Leisure-time Physical Activity Questionnaire. Life events included moving out of home, working full-time and studying full-time. Psychosocial factors included enjoyment, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, club membership, and support from family and friends. Mixed linear regression models examined the effect of life events on changes in LTPA from T1 to T2 and T1 to T3.ResultsA decline in LTPA across all time points was observed. Those who continued full-time education had a smaller LTPA decline than those who did not. Those who were not a member of a sporting club at T1 had greater LTPA decline if they worked full-time at T2.ConclusionsThere is a need for interventions to prevent declines in LTPA among school leavers, especially those who do not enter tertiary education. Encouraging sporting club membership during high school might be important.