Elsevier

The Lancet

Volume 388, Supplement 2, November 2016, Page S45
The Lancet

Meeting Abstracts
Parental influences on children's physical self-perceptions, body composition, and physical activity levels

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)32281-4Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

In the UK, 28% of children are overweight or obese, the deleterious effects of which are well documented. Promotion of physical activity is one solution to preventing obesity. Previous studies have identified parental influence as a factor that can shape a child's physical self-perceptions, and act as a stimulus for physical activity. Therefore, we aimed to assess parental influence and physical self-perceptions on children's physical activity, and to examine whether these factors affect body composition.

Methods

We recruited a convenience sample of 13 children from a local primary school in Wales. Testing was done at two timepoints with a 1 week interval. At baseline, anthropometric data of the children were collected, and ActiSleep+ accelerometers (ActiGraph, Pensacola, FL, USA) distributed. Participants were directed to go about their normal activities for 7 consecutive days while wearing the monitor. At the second timepoint, parental influence and the children's physical self-perception were measured with questionnaires based on the Youth Physical Activity Model and the Children's Physical Self-Perception Profile, respectively. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to measure associations between variables of parental influence, physical self-perception, and physical activity. Additionally, multiple regressions were used to measure pathway coefficients.

Findings

Mean age of the children was 10·46 years (SD 0·52), with mean weight 45·18 kg (11·51) and mean height 1·44 m (0·07). Most of the variables were poorly correlated (p>0·05), with certain exceptions. The strongest correlation was between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels and physical condition, a subcategory of physical self-perception (r=0·752, p=0·002). The weakest correlation was between MVPA and parental involvement (r=0·644, p=0·009). Analysis of correlations between subcategories of parental influence and child's physical self-perception showed that physical condition was strongly correlated with parental involvement (r=0·729, p=0·002). Physical condition was also indirectly associated with physical activity levels (path coefficient association with parental involvement r=0·213, p=0·05).

Interpretation

The present study supports the notion that parental influence, in the form of parental involvement, has a direct, statistically significant, and positive effect on a child's levels of physical activity; it also has an indirect positive effect through a child's perception of their own physical condition, which can subsequently increase physical activity levels. Practitioners should encourage parents to become more involved in their child's choice of physical activity; and parents could provide positive appraisal of their child's perceived physical condition. However, further research with a larger sample size is needed.

Funding

Applied Sports Science Technology and Medicine Research, Swansea University.

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