Parent awareness of young children's physical activity

Abstract

Objective Parents who overestimate their child’s physical activity (PA) level may not encourage their children to increase their PA. We assessed parental awareness of child PA, and investigated potential correlates of overestimation. Method Child PA (accelerometer) and parent-classified child PA [‘active’ ≥ 60mins/day vs. ‘inactive’ <60mins/day moderate and vigorous PA (MVPA)] were measured over 7 days [n=329, 44% male, 39% Latino; Mean (SD) 9.1 (0.7) yrs] in an obesity prevention study in San Diego (Project MOVE). Agreement between date-matched objective MVPA and parent-classified child PA was assessed; % days parental overestimation was the outcome variable. Associations between parental overestimation and potential correlates were investigated using three-level mixed effects linear regression. Results Children met PA guidelines on 43% of days. Parents overestimated their children’s PA on 75% of days when children were inactive. Most parents (80%) overestimated their child’s PA on ≥1 measurement day. Parental support for child PA (transport, encouragement and participation with child) (p<0.01) was positively associated with higher overestimation. Parents of girls showed more overestimation than parents of boys (p=0.01). Conclusion Most parents incorrectly classified their child as active when their child was inactive. Strategies addressing parental overestimation may be important in PA promotion.

Assessment of Physical Activity in 9- to 10-Year-Old Children Participating in a Family-Centered Intervention

“…8 No impact on ST was observed, and at postassessment, mean measured minutes were 25% above that reported by Mathews et al 17 in 2008. As identified in the literature, strategies to minimize ST while promoting PA in youth are important for childhood obesity prevention programs.…”

“…7 In 2008, only 42% of US children, 6 to 11 years of age, engaged in the recommended 60 minutes per day of MVPA. 8 In addition, researchers have found that children, 6 to 15 years of age, spend an average of 5 to 7 hours (300-420 minutes) per day in sedentary behaviors and that the sedentary lifestyle of parents is a contributing factor in the childhood obesity epidemic. 9 Strategies to minimize sedentary time (ST) while promoting PA in youth should be a focus in obesity prevention programs.…”

Bridging animal and human models of exercise-induced brain plasticity

“…For example, Hinkley and colleagues [290] report that different factors influence preschool boys’ and girls’ participation in physical activity. It also appears that parents often overestimate the amount of activity that their children get [291]. Therefore, objective assessment of physical activity in children is important.…”

Treating Obesity in Preschoolers

“…72 Parent-reported barriers to increasing preschooler PA include lack of knowledge about what constitutes MVPA, difficulty measuring daily activity, outdoor safety, inability to monitor or engage in PA with their child, parent dislike of PA, and inclement weather. 73,74 Caregivers may overestimate the amount of PA their preschoolers are getting at (pre)school or daycare, 75 which may further hinder encouraging PA at home. While homes of obese preschoolers have been found to have fewer PA devices, 76,77 studies have not consistently found preschoolers with overweight or obese engage in lower levels of PA than their healthy weight peers.…”