How Self-Objectification Impacts Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls in Costa Rica.

Background: In Latin America, more than 80% of adolescent girls are physically inactive. Inactivity may be reinforced by female stereotypes and objectification in the Latin American sociocultural context.

Methods: We examined the influence of objectification on the adoption of an active lifestyle among 192 adolescents (14 and 17 years old) from urban and rural areas in Costa Rica.

Parental feeding styles and adolescents' healthy eating habits. Structure and correlates of a Costa Rican questionnaire.

This study designed and validated a questionnaire aimed at examining parental feeding styles to encourage healthy eating habits among Costa Rican adolescents. Adolescents (n=133; mean age 15.4 years), and their parents, participated in the study.

Barriers to and suggestions for a healthful, active lifestyle as perceived by rural and urban Costa Rican adolescents.

Objective: To assess the perceptions of rural and urban Costa Rican adolescents regarding which barriers and motivators affect their adoption of an active lifestyle.

Design: Data were collected in focus group discussions.

Participants: 108 male and female adolescents aged 12 to 18 from the 7th to 11th grades.