Parental Influences on Physical Activity in Children: An Exploration of Potential Mechanisms

2003 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory J. Welk ◽  
Kherrin Wood ◽  
Gina Morss

This study examined the utility of a model to explain parental influence on children’s physical activity. Children (n = 994) from 3 elementary schools completed a survey with scales assessing physical activity, attraction to activity, perceived competence, and perceived parental influence. Self-report data on the physical activity levels of parents (n = 536) were also obtained to test the hypothesis that active parents may provide more encouragement and support for their children. The parental influence scales accounted for 20%, 26%, and 28% of the variance in physical activity, attraction to physical activity, and perceptions of competence, respectively. Correlations between parent and child levels of activity were low, but children of active parents had higher scores on the parental influence measures and psychosocial correlates than inactive parents. This study provides further confirmation of the important influence that parents exert on their child’s physical activity behavior.

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 638-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola D. Ridgers ◽  
Lee E.F. Graves ◽  
Lawrence Foweather ◽  
Gareth Stratton

Understanding children’s physical activity (PA) patterns and the factors that may influence PA are important for developing interventions within this population. One hundred and ten children aged 9–10 years from 8 schools had their PA patterns assessed over 7 days. Physiological and self-report data were also collected. Multilevel analyses revealed that cardiorespiratory fitness was a consistent, significant and positive predictor of weekday and weekend PA, while the availability of home sedentary activities was a significant but negative predictor of PA. Since a range of variables were associated with PA levels, intervention developers should be cognizant of variables that may influence children’s activity.


2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul D. Loprinzi ◽  
David P. Schary ◽  
Michael W. Beets ◽  
Janie Leary ◽  
Bradley J. Cardinal

2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy J. Brown ◽  
Kerry Mummery ◽  
Elizabeth Eakin ◽  
Grant Schofield

Objectives:To describe the effectiveness of a multi-strategy physical activity (PA) intervention.Methods:Self-report data from random samples were collected prior to and following intervention. Social marketing, healthcare provider, and environmental strategies were concurrently implemented with a central coordinating theme of “10,000 Steps Rockhampton.”Results:There was evidence of significant project reach and awareness. The downward trend in PA seen in the comparison community (48.3% to 41.9% “active”) was not evident in Rockhampton. Women were the “early adopters” in this project; with an increase of 5% (95% CI: –0.6, 10.6) in the percent categorized as “active” (compared with decreases among women in the comparison community and among men in both communities).Conclusions:High levels of project awareness, combined with modest increases in activity levels in women, demonstrate initial project effects. Longer term interventions, focusing on sustainable individual, social, and environmental change strategies are needed to maintain and improve this result.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika E. Bohn-Goldbaum ◽  
Philayrath Phongsavan ◽  
Dafna Merom ◽  
Kris Rogers ◽  
Venugopal Kamalesh ◽  
...  

Outdoor recreational spaces have the potential to increase physical activity. This study used a quasi-experimental evaluation design to determine how a playground renovation impacts usage and physical activity of children and whether the visitations correlate with children’s physical activity levels and parental impressions of the playground. Observational data and intercept interviews were collected simultaneously on park use and park-based activity among playground visitors at pre- and postrenovation at an intervention and a comparison park during three 2-hour periods each day over two weeks. No detectable difference in use between parks was observed at followup. In the intervention park, attendance increased among boys, but decreased among girls although this (nonsignificant) decline was less marked than in the comparison park. Following renovation, there was no detectable difference between parks in the number of children engaged in MVPA (interaction between park and time:P=0.73). At the intervention park, there was a significant decline in girls engaging in MVPA at followup (P=0.04). Usage was correlated with parental/carer perceptions of playground features but not with physical activity levels. Renovations have limited the potential to increase physical activity until factors influencing usage and physical activity behavior are better understood.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 576-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Volker Cihlar ◽  
Sonia Lippke

In this study, we draw attention to time-competing activities and psychological variables as impeding or enabling factors of physical activity behavior in 55- to 70-year-old Germans. Cross-sectional data was used (n = 4,891). Results indicate that paid work has a negative relationship with sufficient physical activity. Persons who provide nursing care seem to be motivated to achieve sufficient physical activity behavior, but do not meet established recommendations. Active citizenship positively relates to higher physical activity levels. The investment of energy in life domains and a distinct internal locus of control characterize motivated underachievers. Those sufficiently physically active show higher values in conscientiousness. This suggests that time-consuming and strongly externally determined activities like nursing care and paid work hinder a sufficient level of physical activity, even if the motivation is existent. Active citizenship and physical activity seem to be linked processes.


Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeline Cooke ◽  
Alison Coates ◽  
Elizabeth Buckley ◽  
Jonathan Buckley

Lutein is a carotenoid that reduces the risk of some chronic diseases, possibly by altering physical activity behavior. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of studies examining the relationship between lutein status (dietary intake/blood concentration) and physical activity. Peer-reviewed studies published in Medline, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Scopus, and Embase were included if they reported a measure of association between lutein status and physical activity. Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria. Eleven reported positive associations, three reported mixed results, and three reported no association. Two studies used objective measures of lutein status (blood concentration) and physical activity (accelerometry) and reported positive associations, with correlations of ≥0.36 and differences of ≥57% in physical activity between upper and lower tertiles. Studies using self-report measures reported weaker correlations (r = 0.06 to 0.25), but still more physical activity (18% to ≥600% higher) in those with the highest compared with the lowest lutein status. Higher lutein status may be associated with higher levels of physical activity, which may contribute to a reduced risk of chronic disease.


Author(s):  
Amanda L. Rebar

Much of our sport and physical activity behavior is regulated by processes occurring outside of conscious awareness. In contrast, most sport and physical activity research focuses on processes that are easily accessible by conscious introspection. More and more, however, research is demonstrating that automatic regulation is instrumental to our understanding of how to get people to maintain a physically active lifestyle and how to get the most out of people’s sports performance potential. Automatic regulation is the influence on our thoughts and actions that result from the mental network of associations we use to make sense of the world around us. Habits are automatic associations of cues with behavioral responses. Automatic evaluations are automatic associations of cues as being good or bad. Automatic schemas are automatic associations of cues with actual or ideal self-identity. These processes have been assessed with implicit measures by making indirect inferences from self-report or response latency tasks. Emerging research demonstrates that automatic associations influence sport performance and physical activity behavior, but further work is still needed to establish which type of automatic regulation is responsible for these influences and how automatic regulation and reflective processes interact to impact movement.


2011 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 631-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parvaneh Taymoori ◽  
Tanya R Berry ◽  
David R Lubans

Objective: The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine changes in physical activity behavior, psychological factors and interpersonal influences associated with exercise behavior during the transition from secondary school to high school in Sanandaj, Iran. Design: Data were collected from students in 2006 ( N = 1,073), of whom 844 provided follow-up data in 2009. Setting: The students were in high school in 2009 (51% male) with a mean age of 16.42 ± 1.73 years. Method: Physical activity-related cognitions, interpersonal influences, and physical activity behavior were measured using self-report questionnaires. To assess the effects of time and sex on psychosocial factors, analysis of variances (ANOVAs) were conducted. The relative stability of physical activity psychosocial correlates from wave 1 through wave 2 was assessed using Pearson product-moment correlations. Results: There were significant differences according to sex across time for physical activity, psychological variables and interpersonal influences associated with exercise activities. The girls were less active than boys at both time points. Girls reported lower self-efficacy and perceived more barriers and fewer perceived benefits for physical activity over time. Interpersonal influences on activity were more stable for girls than boys. Conclusion: The results offer evidence for decreasing physical activity in boys and girls and sex differences in cognitive variables and interpersonal influences. This is important for understanding how to address the problem of physical inactivity among Iranian youth.


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