Adolescence is a critical stage in the development of an individual's physical activity (PA) habits and preferences. Adolescents' perceptions of PA can influence their motivation to engage in PA and, consequently, their overall level of PA. Thus, our primary aim was to investigate whether Czech adolescents misperceive their peers' PA. Our dataset comprised cross-sectional data on 1289 adolescents aged 11-15 years. PA was measured using self-reported items used in the HBSC study. To describe the gender and school grade differences in VPA, independent samples T, ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis H tests were performed. To analyze the effect of gender, school grade, school, and participants' own PA on the underestimation of PA, binomial regression models were used. Our study points out that there is a discrepancy between self-perceived levels of PA and the perceived descriptive norms of peers' PA. Adolescents underestimate the prevalence of sufficient PA, and thus perceived descriptive norms in PA as being worse than levels of own PA. These findings indicate room for targeted interventions based on social-norms-based approaches to increase the PA of adolescents or at least strengthen their actual positive behavior.

Department of Physical Education and Sport Faculty of Science Humanities and Education Technical University of Liberec 461 17 Liberec Czech Republic

Department of Social Sciences in Kinanthropology Faculty of Physical Culture Palacký University 771 11 Olomouc Czech Republic

Institute of Active Lifestyle Faculty of Physical Culture Palacký University 771 11 Olomouc Czech Republic

See more in PubMed

van Sluijs E.M.F., Ekelund U., Crochemore-Silva I., Guthold R., Ha A., Lubans D., Oyeyemi A.L., Ding D., Katzmarzyk P.T. Physical Activity Behaviours in Adolescence: Current Evidence and Opportunities for Intervention. Lancet. 2021;398:429–442. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01259-9. PubMed DOI PMC

Guthold R., Stevens G.A., Riley L.M., Bull F.C. Global Trends in Insufficient Physical Activity among Adolescents: A Pooled Analysis of 298 Population-Based Surveys with 1·6 Million Participants. Lancet Child Adolesc. Health. 2020;4:23–35. doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(19)30323-2. PubMed DOI PMC

Gába A., Baďura P., Vorlíček M., Dygrýn J., Hamřík Z., Kudláček M., Rubín L., Sigmund E., Sigmundová D., Vašíčková J. The Czech Republic’s 2022 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth: A Rationale and Comprehensive Analysis. J. Exerc. Sci. Fit. 2022;20:340–348. doi: 10.1016/j.jesf.2022.08.002. PubMed DOI PMC

Randazzo K.D., Solmon M. Exploring Social Norms as a Framework to Understand Decisions to Be Physically Active. Quest. 2017;70:64–80. doi: 10.1080/00336297.2017.1335646. DOI

Ajzen I. The Theory of Planned Behavior. Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process. 1991;50:179–211. doi: 10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T. DOI

Schultz P.W., Nolan J.M., Cialdini R.B., Goldstein N.J., Griskevicius V. The Constructive, Destructive, and Reconstructive Power of Social Norms. Psychol. Sci. 2007;18:429–434. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01917.x. PubMed DOI

Cialdini R.B., Reno R.R., Kallgren C.A. A Focus Theory of Normative Conduct: Recycling the Concept of Norms to Reduce Littering in Public Places. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 1990;58:1015–1026. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.58.6.1015. DOI

Cho H. Influences of Norm Proximity and Norm Types on Binge and Non-Binge Drinkers: Examining the under-Examined Aspects of Social Norms Interventions on College Campuses. J. Subst. Use. 2006;11:417–429. doi: 10.1080/14659890600738982. DOI

Yun D., Silk K.J. Social Norms, Self-Identity, and Attention to Social Comparison Information in the Context of Exercise and Healthy Diet Behavior. Health Commun. 2011;26:275–285. doi: 10.1080/10410236.2010.549814. PubMed DOI

Helmer S.M., Pischke C.R., Van Hal G., Vriesacker B., Dempsey R.C., Akvardar Y., Guillen-Grima F., Salonna F., Stock C., Zeeb H. Personal and Perceived Peer Use and Attitudes towards the Use of Nonmedical Prescription Stimulants to Improve Academic Performance among University Students in Seven European Countries. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2016;168:128–134. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.08.639. PubMed DOI

Dempsey R.C., McAlaney J., Bewick B.M. A Critical Appraisal of the Social Norms Approach as an Interventional Strategy for Health-Related Behavior and Attitude Change. Front. Psychol. 2018;9:2180. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02180. PubMed DOI PMC

Kim J., Eys M., Robertson-Wilson J., Dunn E., Rellinger K. Subjective Norms Matter for Physical Activity Intentions More than Previously Thought: Reconsidering Measurement and Analytical Approaches. Psychol. Sport Exerc. 2019;43:359–367. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2019.04.013. DOI

Draper C.E., Grobler L., Micklesfield L.K., Norris S.A. Impact of Social Norms and Social Support on Diet, Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour of Adolescents: A Scoping Review. Child Care Health Dev. 2015;41:654–667. doi: 10.1111/cch.12241. PubMed DOI

Bucksch J., Kopcakova J., Inchley J., Troped P.J., Sudeck G., Sigmundova D., Nalecz H., Borraccino A., Salonna F., Dankulincova Veselska Z., et al. Associations between Perceived Social and Physical Environmental Variables and Physical Activity and Screen Time among Adolescents in Four European Countries. Int. J. Public Health. 2019;64:83–94. doi: 10.1007/s00038-018-1172-9. PubMed DOI

Lu F.J.H., Lin J.H., Hsu Y.W., Chou C.C., Wang E.T.W., Yeh L.C. Adolescents’ Physical Activities and Peer Norms: The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy. Percept. Mot. Ski. 2014;118:362–374. doi: 10.2466/06.30.PMS.118k23w3. PubMed DOI

Wally C.M., Cameron L.D. A Randomized-Controlled Trial of Social Norm Interventions to Increase Physical Activity. Ann. Behav. Med. 2017;51:642–651. doi: 10.1007/s12160-017-9887-z. PubMed DOI

Stevens M., Fitzpatrick Á., Cruwys T. The Effect of Descriptive Norms and Social Identification on Performance and Exertion during a Physical Fitness Task. Scand. J. Med. Sci. Sports. 2022;32:313–323. doi: 10.1111/sms.14072. PubMed DOI

Spencer R.A., Rehman L., Kirk S.F.L. Understanding Gender Norms, Nutrition, and Physical Activity in Adolescent Girls: A Scoping Review. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act. 2015;12:6. doi: 10.1186/s12966-015-0166-8. PubMed DOI PMC

Brooks F., Magnusson J. Physical Activity as Leisure: The Meaning of Physical Activity for the Health and Well-Being of Adolescent Women. Health Care Women Int. 2007;28:69–87. doi: 10.1080/07399330601003499. PubMed DOI

Flintoff A., Scraton S. Stepping into Active Leisure? Young Women’s Perceptions of Active Lifestyles and Their Experiences of School Physical Education. Sport Educ. Soc. 2001;6:5–21. doi: 10.1080/713696043. DOI

Cockburn C., Clarke G. “Everybody’s Looking at You!”: Girls Negotiating the “Femininity Deficit” They Incur in Physical Education. Women’s Stud. Int. Forum. 2002;25:651–665. doi: 10.1016/S0277-5395(02)00351-5. DOI

Miller D.T., Prentice D.A. Changing Norms to Change Behavior. Annu. Rev. Psychol. 2016;67:339–361. doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010814-015013. PubMed DOI

Helmer S.M., Muellmann S., Zeeb H., Pischke C.R. Development and Evaluation of the Efficacy of a Web-Based ‘Social Norms’-Intervention for the Prevention and Reduction of Substance Use in a Cluster-Controlled Trial Conducted at Eight German Universities. BMC Public Health. 2016;16:252. doi: 10.1186/s12889-016-2898-z. PubMed DOI PMC

Vorlíček M., Baďura P., Mitáš J., Kolarčik P., Rubín L., Vašíčková J., Salonna F. How Czech Adolescents Perceive Active Commuting to School: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2020;17:5562. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17155562. PubMed DOI PMC

Moor I., Winter K., Bilz L., Bucksch J., Finne E., John N., Kolip P., Paulsen L., Ravens-Sieberer U., Schlattmann M., et al. The 2017/18 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Study—Methodology of the World Health Organization’s Child and Adolescent Health Study. J. Health Monit. 2020;5:88. doi: 10.25646/6904. PubMed DOI PMC

Su Y., Zhang Y., Chen S.T., Hong J.T., Wang H. Is the Health Behavior in School-Aged Survey Questionnaire Reliable and Valid in Assessing Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Young Populations? A Systematic Review. Front. Public Health. 2022;10:729641. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.729641. PubMed DOI PMC

Perkins H.W. The Social Norms Approach to Preventing School and College Age Substance Abuse: A Handbook for Educators, Counselors, and Clinicians. John Wiley & Sons; Hoboken, NJ, USA: 2003. p. 320.

Cislaghi B., Heise L. Theory and Practice of Social Norms Interventions: Eight Common Pitfalls. Glob. Health. 2018;14:83. doi: 10.1186/s12992-018-0398-x. PubMed DOI PMC

Inchley J., Currie D., Budisavljevic S., Torsheim T., Jåstad A., Cosma A., Kelly C., Már Arnarsson Á., Samdal O. Spotlight on Adolescent Health and Well-Being Survey in Europe and Canada International Report VOLUME 2. KEY DATA. Health Behav. Sch. Aged Child. 2018;2:144.

Aubert S., Barnes J.D., Demchenko I., Hawthorne M., Abdeta C., Nader P.A., Sala J.C.A., Aguilar-Farias N., Aznar S., Bakalár P., et al. Global Matrix 4.0 Physical Activity Report Card Grades for Children and Adolescents: Results and Analyses From 57 Countries. J. Phys. Act. Health. 2022;19:700–728. doi: 10.1123/jpah.2022-0456. PubMed DOI

Duffey K., Barbosa A., Whiting S., Mendes R., Yordi Aguirre I., Tcymbal A., Abu-Omar K., Gelius P., Breda J. Barriers and Facilitators of Physical Activity Participation in Adolescent Girls: A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews. Front. Public Health. 2021;9:743935. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.743935. PubMed DOI PMC

Ball K., Jeffery R.W., Abbott G., McNaughton S.A., Crawford D. Is Healthy Behavior Contagious: Associations of Social Norms with Physical Activity and Healthy Eating. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act. 2010;7:86. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-7-86. PubMed DOI PMC

Priebe C.S., Spink K.S. Less Sitting and More Moving in the Office: Using Descriptive Norm Messages to Decrease Sedentary Behavior and Increase Light Physical Activity at Work. Psychol. Sport Exerc. 2015;19:76–84. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2015.02.008. DOI

Korcuska J.S., Thombs D.L. Gender Role Conflict and Sex-Specific Drinking Norms: Relationships to Alcohol Use in Undergraduate Women and Men. J. Coll. Stud. Dev. 2003;44:204–216. doi: 10.1353/csd.2003.0017. DOI

Gába A., Mitáš J., Jakubec L. Associations between Accelerometermeasured Physical Activity and Body Fatness in School-Aged Children. Environ. Health Prev. Med. 2017;22:43. doi: 10.1186/s12199-017-0629-4. PubMed DOI PMC

Frömel K., Groffik D., Chmelík F., Cocca A., Skalik K. Physical Activity of 15–17 Years Old Adolescents in Different Educational Settings: A Polish-Czech Study. Cent. Eur. J. Public Health. 2018;26:137–143. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a4521. PubMed DOI

Brindova D., Veselska Z.D., Klein D., Hamrik Z., Sigmundova D., van Dijk J.P., Reijneveld S.A., Geckova A.M. Is the Association between Screen-Based Behaviour and Health Complaints among Adolescents Moderated by Physical Activity? Int. J. Public Health. 2015;60:139–145. doi: 10.1007/s00038-014-0627-x. PubMed DOI

Ács P., Bergier J., Salonna F., Junger J., Melczer C., Makai A. Gender Differences in Physical Activity among Secondary School Students in the Visegrad Countries (V4) Health Probl. Civiliz. 2016;3:21–29. doi: 10.5114/hpc.2016.61363. DOI

Owen K.B., Foley B.C., Wilhite K., Booker B., Lonsdale C., Reece L.J. Sport Participation and Academic Performance in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 2022;54:299–306. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002786. PubMed DOI

Rimal R.N. Modeling the Relationship between Descriptive Norms and Behaviors: A Test and Extension of the Theory of Normative Social Behavior (TNSB) Health Commun. 2008;23:103–116. doi: 10.1080/10410230801967791. PubMed DOI

Real K., Rimal R.N. Friends Talk to Friends about Drinking: Exploring the Role of Peer Communication in the Theory of Normative Social Behavior. Health Commun. 2007;22:169–180. doi: 10.1080/10410230701454254. PubMed DOI

Rimal R.N., Mollen S. The Role of Issue Familiarity and Social Norms: Findings on New College Students’ Alcohol Use Intentions. J. Public Health Res. 2013;2:31–37. doi: 10.4081/jphr.2013.e7. PubMed DOI PMC