Physical Activity Messages - What Do Youth with Disabilities Think

There is no known research examining the use of messages to motivate youth with disabilities (YWD) to engage in physical activity (PA). Guided by the SIABM, the purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of PA messages on YWDs attitudes and intentions, and to consider factors related to message effectiveness. Sixty YWD were randomized to view one of three PA messages. Attitudes and intentions were assessed at baseline and immediately following viewing one of the three messages. Participants also completed a message evaluation questionnaire. Repeated measures ANOVA indicated that attitudes and intentions toward PA did not change significantly following message viewing. Attention was the only significant predictor of intention post-viewing (p=.001). The relationship between message attention and PA intentions warrants further exploration. Research among a sample with lower baseline attitudes and intentions would be valuable to inform the development of effective PA messages for YWD.