Background: Physical literacy is crucial for promoting a healthy lifestyle. Adolescents learn about physical activity from diverse sources like the Internet, parents, physical education specialists, and friends. This study investigates the relationship between adolescents' physical literacy and their sources of information regarding physical activity.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 510 Iranian adolescents aged 16-18 years were randomly selected from high schools in Tehran during the 2021 academic year. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire that assessed both general characteristics and physical literacy. The physical literacy section of the questionnaire included 34 items spanning four dimensions: information acquisition, information comprehension, information assessment, and self-care skills. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 16.0).
Results: This study assessed physical literacy among 510 Iranian adolescents (50.2% girls, aged 16–18). Most (61.4%) spent 1–4 hours daily online, 58.6% were sports club members, and 42.4% used the Internet for physical activity information. Physical literacy scores showed 35.3% had insufficient literacy, 43.7% good, and 21% excellent. No significant gender (p = 0.370) or age differences (p = 0.448) were found in overall scores, though the self-care domain varied by age (p= 0.012). Adolescents guided by club coaches had higher scores than those relying on parents (p = 0.008). Significant differences were observed in the acquisition (p = 0.004), assessment (p = 0.047), and self-care (p = 0.001) domains but not comprehension (p = 0.088). Interestingly, non-members of sports clubs scored higher overall (p = 0.001), particularly in acquisition and self-care domains.
Conclusion: This study of 510 Iranian adolescents revealed that while most had good or excellent physical literacy, 35.3% had insufficient levels. Those who received information from club coaches scored higher, while non-sports club members had better overall scores. These findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions that utilize trusted sources like coaches and accessible platforms to enhance physical literacy and promote healthier lifestyles among adolescents.