A cross-sectional study of the relationship between parents' and children's physical activity

作者：Stearns Jodie A^*; Rhodes Ryan; Ball Geoff D C; Boule Normand; Veugelers Paul J; Cutumisu Nicoleta; Spence John C

来源：BMC Public Health, 2016, 16(1): 1129.

DOI：10.1186/s12889-016-3793-3

• Children
• Parents
• Physical activity
• Pedometers
• Questionnaires

Background: Though parents' physical activity (PA) is thought to be a predictor of children's PA, findings have been mixed. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between pedometer-measured steps/day of parents' and their children and potential moderators of this relationship. We also assessed the parent-child PA relationship as measured by questionnaires.
Methods: Six-hundred and twelve 7-8 year olds and one of their parents wore Steps Count (SC)-T2 pedometers for four consecutive days. Parents reported their PA from the last seven days and their child's usual PA. Hierarchical linear regressions were used to assess the parent-child PA relationships, controlling for covariates. Gender (parent, child), gender homogeneity, weight status (parent, child), weight status homogeneity, and socioeconomic status (SES) variables (parent education, household income, area-level SES) were tested as potential moderators of this relationship. Partial r's were used as an estimate of effect size.
Results: Parents' steps was significantly related to children's steps (r(partial) =.24). For every 1,000 step increase in parents' steps, the children took 260 additional steps. None of the tested interactions were found to moderate this relationship. Using questionnaires, a relatively smaller parent-child PA relationship was found (r(partial) =.14).
Conclusion: Physically active parents tend to have physically active children. Interventions designed to get children moving more throughout the day could benefit from including a parent component. Future research should explore the mechanisms by which parents influence their children, and other parent attributes and styles as potential moderators.

• 出版日期2016-10-28