Family Influence on Physical Activity: Exploring the Nature of Reciprocal Relationships (original) (raw)
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Understanding Parents’ Perceptions of Children’s Physical Activity
Revista Electrónica Educare , 2019
Currently, there is little research on mothers’ perceptions of the social support they provide for their children to be physically active, which could yield important information in the construction of interventions that promote active lifestyles in childhood. We conducted individual interviews and three focus groups with 15 mothers of children 6 to 8 years old. The data were thematically analyzed using a qualitative approach, applying Ecological Model constructs to guide coding and categorization of results and the discussion of these results. The majority of mothers acknowledged that their sons and daughters were relatively less active and indicated that they perceived a need for increased physical activity among their children. The use of social support strategies was minimal, limited to accompanying their children. Mothers reported environmental factors such as cost, time constraints, lack of extracurricular-community activities and unsafe environments as the main barriers to their children’s physical activity. This study generated three main categories of results: the information gathered following the ecological model as a framework for analysis generated suggests that mothers are not aware of lack of physical activity of their children; mothers do not know ways to use social support for active lifestyles in their children, and recognize barriers to increase children’s physical activity. These research findings may contribute to health promotion strategies and programs that educate parents on how to effectively support their child in developing an active style of life.
Parental Influences and the Relationship to their Children’s Physical Activity Levels
2017
Engaging in a physically active lifestyle relates positively to current health and reduces chances of chronic diseases in the future. Given escalating health care costs, it is paramount to reduce illnesses associated with a lack of physical activity and thus critical to identify factors that influence physical activity - especially in children, with the opportunity for a lifetime impact. One of these influencing factors may be parents/guardians. The intent of this study was to examine the relationship between children’s physical activity levels and parental factors including parental physical activity, support/encouragement, restrictiveness, and self-reported participation. Data was collected from 15 child-parent pairs with children ranging in age from 7 to 10 years. Daily physical activity levels were determined from pedometer data using a Piezo SC-Step Pedometer. Number of steps and moderate and vigorous physical activity were extracted from the pedometers and levels of support/en...
Change in parental influence on children's physical activity over time
Journal of physical activity & health, 2010
Parents are believed to play a pivotal role in their children's health-related behaviors, including physical activity (PA). It is currently unclear, however, at what developmental period parental socialization has the strongest influence on child and/or adolescent PA levels. The purpose of this study was to take a developmental approach to examine parental influence on children's PA levels over time. Parents (N = 70; 68 mothers) completed a questionnaire assessing PA habits, amount of time they engage in PA with their child, and reasons for their child's PA participation at baseline (during child's preschool years) and at follow-up, which occurred from 1 to 9 years later. The results indicate that the relationship between parents' and children's physical activity patterns and parents' reasons for their children's participation in organized physical activity change over time. Parents also reported spending approximately 60 min per week engaged in physi...
Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 2012
Objectives: Previous research studies examining parental influences on children's physical activity (PA) have focused primarily on parents' own PA behavior, as well as their PA-related beliefs and socially supportive behaviors. The present study, although aligned with this mainstream parental influence research, was grounded in a broader child development perspective to examine the influence of parenting style on children's PA beliefs and quality of parentechild communication. Method: Self-report questionnaires were administered to 173 children ranging in age from 9 to 12 years to assess their perceptions of parenting style, parentechild communication patterns, as well as their own perceptions of fitness competence, value, and goal orientation. Results: Children's constellation of beliefs and attitudes regarding PA as well as their perceptions of the parentechild communication process did vary as a function of the type of parenting style they perceived their parents to use. High challenge parenting style was linked to higher perceived fitness competence and value on the part of the children. High support parenting style was linked to more positive perceived parentechild communication patterns. Conclusion: Parenting style may be a critical underlying family process variable that impacts children's development of a positive constellation of beliefs about PA. Future work is needed to link parenting style and children's PA beliefs to their PA behavior.
Role of Parents in Determining Children's Physical Activity
World J Pediatr, 2007
Background: Parents' physical activity was reported to influence children's physical activity. We hypothesized that parents of 10-to 14-year-old children could influence their children's level of physical activity in ways other than providing logistical support.
Evaluating a model of parental influence on youth physical activity
American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2003
To test a conceptual model linking parental physical activity orientations, parental support for physical activity, and children's self-efficacy perceptions with physical activity participation.The sample consisted of 380 students in grades 7 through 12 (mean age, 14.0±1.6 years) and their parents. Data collection took place during the fall of 1996.Parents completed a questionnaire assessing their physical activity habits, enjoyment of physical activity, beliefs regarding the importance of physical activity, and supportive behaviors for their child's physical activity. Students completed a 46-item inventory assessing physical activity during the previous 7 days and a 5-item physical activity self-efficacy scale. The model was tested via observed variable path analysis using structural equation modeling techniques (AMOS 4.0).An initial model, in which parent physical activity orientations predicted child physical activity via parental support and child self-efficacy, did not provide an acceptable fit to the data. Inclusion of a direct path from parental support to child physical activity and deletion of a nonsignificant path from parental physical activity to child physical activity significantly improved model fit. Standardized path coefficients for the revised model ranged from 0.17 to 0.24, and all were significant at the p<0.0001 level.Parental support was an important correlate of youth physical activity, acting directly or indirectly through its influence on self-efficacy. Physical activity interventions targeted at youth should include and evaluate the efficacy of individual-level and community-level strategies to increase parents’ capacity to provide instrumental and motivational support for their children's physical activity.
Family and individual predictors and mediators of adolescent physical activity
Health Psychology Report, 2015
Background In recent years, many reviews of research have demonstrated that the correlations between the physical activity of children and their parents are not as obvious as was once believed. Family factors constitute determinants of children’s physical activity; however, this influence can be mediated by other factors. The aim of the analyses was to examine the mechanisms of the relationships between parental and individual factors: to examine whether parental modelling of physical activity and parental support are direct and indirect predictors of children’s physical activity and whether self-efficacy is a mediator of these relationships. Participants and procedure Data from 1,287 Polish adolescents aged 14 to 18 were analysed. The study used questions and scales regarding perceived parental modelling of physical activity (perceived parental physical activity and joint activities), received parental support, and self-efficacy, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and vi...