Using a Social Ecological Model to Understand Physical Activity among Jewish and Arab Adolescents in Israel: Findings from the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children Study

Background: While Israeli youth typically take part in less physical activity (PA) than other countries, Bronfenbrenner’s social-ecological model of family, school, and peer group influences on PA can have important implications for improving PA. However, there has not been research into how PA levels as well as the influence of Bronfenbrenner’s model on PA may vary by sector (Jewish or Arab) and gender for Israeli youth, which has important implications. This study`s objective was to assess differences in PA measures among Jewish and Arab adolescents in Israel by gender and analyze the relationship of Bronfenbrenner’s social-ecological model and PA measures by sector and gender among Israeli youth.

Methods: This study analyzed the 2014-15 HBSC-WHO cross-national survey conducted in Israel among 16,145 pupils in 708 classrooms. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the association of family, peers, and school on three PA measures for two sectors (Jewish or Arab) by gender.

Results: Arab pupils were typically less active than Jewish pupils and girls less active than boys, but with differences by measure. Further, family, peer and school influences were associated with PA but there were variations by sector and gender.

Conclusions: Differences in PA levels exist by sector and gender among Israeli youth, which can lead to health inequalities. An understanding of the varying influences of the socio-ecological model can help tailor interventions to improve PA among different groups and potentially reduce inequalities.