Impact of Parental Education and Physical Activity on the Long-Term Development of the Physical Fitness of Primary School Children: An Observational Study

Abstract

Low physical fitness (PF) has been associated with higher risk of suffering from different diseases. The importance of PF is evident already in early ages, as children’s PF appears to be a key factor of their future PF and physical activity level. Among the variables that may have an influence on children’s PF, the importance of parent’s socioeconomic status and active/inactive behaviors has been stressed in several previous studies. However, previous literature has mostly reported this association through cross-sectional studies. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of parental education and self-reported parental physical activity (PA) on their children’s development of PF during the 4-year duration of primary education. Using German Motor Test 6-18, the major components of PF (sprint velocity, coordination, flexibility, strength endurance, power, and endurance) were measured on a total of 371 children (46.9% girls, 30.6% migration background, 19.6% overweight/obese at the fourth test time point, compliance 70.1%) from 20 primary schools in Tyrol, Austria. Results showed that children with at least one parent with upper secondary education or above obtained significantly higher PF scores at all time points compared to children with both parents with lower secondary education and below. However, PF in both groups developed over time in a comparable manner irrespective of parental education. From the age of 9 years old, children with regularly physically active parents showed a stronger development of PF over the time compared to their peers with parents reporting irregular/no PA. Our results suggest that low-educated parents’ children might be considered a special target group for interventions aiming at increasing PF. More research is needed in order to delve into the potential underdevelopment of PF in 9-year-old children whose parents have low PA levels.

Effectiveness of Brainball program on physical fitness of primary school pupils in Vietnam. A longitudinal study

“…Researchers have previously demonstrated that the development of physical fitness is not only influenced by physical activities and sports, but also by factors such as genetics, environment ( 42 ); socioeconomic status of parents ( 43 , 44 ); parental education ( 45 ); eating behavior ( 46 ). Therefore, with the present study's findings, it is impossible to conclude with certainty that the Brainball program has a positive long-term impact on the development of physical fitness for second-grade students in Vietnam.…”

Relationship of Social Determinants and Physical Activity among Adolescents with Risk of Obesity in Rural Areas of Indonesia

“…20 The findings of this study are also supported by a previous study, which also found a significant relationship between parental education level and physical activity among adolescents, 21,22 especially in adolescents with obesity. 23 Falese et al (2021) explained that high physical activity levels among adolescents who have parents with high education levels because parents with high education are more likely to support youth involvement in physical activity, like choosing schools that can promote physical activity for their adolescents. 21 Galiano et al (2020) explained that highly educated parents have better knowledge about the benefits of physical activity for health, so they will spend time doing physical activity with their adolescents.…”

Validity and Reliability of Questionnaires That Assess Barriers and Facilitators of Sedentary Behavior in the Pediatric Population: A Systematic Review

“…Parental education level also appears to be associated with the perception of barriers and facilitators to SB. One study [ 26 ] demonstrated that parents with a higher educational level engage more in PA with their children, compared to those with lower levels [ 26 , 27 ].…”

“…Limiting TV time, causing children to spend more time playing outdoors, was associated with barriers [ 25 ]. In this sense, understanding SB in children and adolescents is an essential prevention strategy for public health [ 26 , 27 ], since SB is highly prevalent in the pediatric population and directly associated with the development of cardiometabolic diseases, which can lead to death in early adulthood [ 28 , 29 , 30 ].…”