Obesity is increasing in adolescents due to multiple factors which contribute to increased caloric consumption and decreased energy expenditure. Environmental factors, including physical education courses, influence physical activity levels. As adolescents enter middle school, enrollment in physical education declines and student's perceptions directly affect participation in physical education. The primary purpose of this investigation was to explore environmental factors influencing adolescents' perceptions of physical education activities.

Methods: This study was a mixed methods investigation. Participants (n = 368), enrolled in 3 different middle-schools, ranged in age from 11–15 years of age. For the quantitative component, students completed two surveys: The Activity Questionnaire and the Physical Education Activity Questionnaire (Thomason, 2008). The qualitative component consisted of six focus groups (N = 45) in which students expressed their thoughts of physical education activities.

Findings: Adolescent's perceptions of physical education activities and BMI were found to be statistically significant [F(3, 352) = 8.07, p = <0.005], as well as their perceptions of physical education activities and ethnicity [F(2,363) = 5.56, p = <0.005]. Additionally, adolescent perceptions of physical activity had statistically significant differences by gender (t = 4.49, p = <0.005). Qualitative analysis revealed seven themes with subthemes which supported and enriched the quantitative findings.

Discussion: The findings from this investigation suggest that students' perceptions of physical education activities may be influenced by weight, gender, and ethnicity. Nurses are involved in health promotion. Understanding how environmental factors influence adolescents' perceptions of physical education activities will assist determining effective interventions to increase health.