Electronic Physician (ISSN: 2008-5842) http://www.ephysician.ir August 2017, Volume: 9, Issue: 8, Pages: 5075-5082, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.19082/5075 Corresponding author: Associate Professor Dr. Roya Sadeghi, Department of Health Promotion and Education, Faculty of Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Tel: +98.2166954232, Email: sadeghi_roya@yahoo.co.uk Received: December 09, 2016, Accepted: January 30, 2017, Published: August 2017 iThenticate screening: January 25, 2017, English editing: February 10, 2017, Quality control: April 12, 2017 © 2017 The Authors. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. Page 5075 Teenage girls’ experience of the determinants of physical activity promotion: A theory-based qualitative content analysis Mahboobe Borhani 1 , Roya Sadeghi 2 , Davoud Shojaeizadeh 3 , Tayebeh Fasihi Harandi 4 , Mohammad Ali Vakili 5 1 Ph.D. Candidate of Health Education & Health Promotion, Department of Health Promotion and Education, Faculty of Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2 Ph.D. of Health Promotion, Associate Professor, Department of Health Promotion and Education, Faculty of Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 3 Ph.D. of Health Education, Professor, Department of Health Promotion and Education, Faculty of Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 4 Ph.D. of Health Promotion, Associate Professor, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran 5 Ph.D. of Biostatistics, Associate Professor, Department of Biostatistics, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran Type of article: Original Abstract Background: The progress of technology in developed countries has changed lifestyles to sedentary and has increased non-communicable diseases. Identifying factors affecting patterns of physical activity among adolescents is valuable and it is important to change these pattern. Objective: This study aimed to explore teenage girls’ experiences regarding the determinants of physical activity promotion based on Pender's Health Promotion Model. Methods: This qualitative study is a content analysis research on the girls of three high schools in Minoodasht city for six months from September 2015 until the end of February 2016. The data were obtained by focused group discussions and semi-structured in-depth interviews from 48 girls ranging from 15 to 18 years old and six teachers. Data analysis was done using theory-driven qualitative content analysis. Results: Data analysis resulted in a total number of 53 primary codes which were classified in the six predetermined classifications of Pender's Health Promotion Model (Perceived benefits, perceived barriers, perceived self-efficacy of physical activity behavior, feelings related to physical activity behavior, interpersonal and situational influencers). The results showed that two classifications (perceived barriers, and situational influencers) were considered more important than other classifications in reducing levels of physical activity in adolescent girls and also high self-efficacy for promoting physical activity in adolescents. Conclusion: The results obtained from this study specified the determinants affecting the promotion of physical activity among adolescent girls and can help the planners to choose the most appropriate methods and strategies in order to promote physical activity among adolescent girls and to prevent chronic non-communicable diseases in this age group and gender. Keywords: Pender's Health Promotion Model, Physical activity, Qualitative study, Teenage girls 1. Introduction Sedentary lifestyle is a major problem in public health. The findings of the World Health Organization show that sedentary lifestyle is one of the 10 leading causes of death around the world (2). Furthermore, this problem compromises a large portion of the economic burden of developing countries, so it is suggested that one should do moderate physical exercise at least 30 minutes a day or preferably 3 days a week (3). Nowadays, one of the most serious public health challenges among teenagers/adolescents, is obesity and lack of mobility. Lack of physical