Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between parenting style and adolescent girls’ physical activity

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

Research

Anna Timperio¹  Jo Salmon¹  Clare Hume¹  Julie Saunders² 

[1] School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, 3125, Burwood, Victoria, Australia;School of Population Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, 6009;School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, 3125, Burwood, Victoria, Australia;

关键词: Parental influences;    Family environment;    Adolescents’ Physical activity;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1479-5868-9-141

 received in 2012-03-02, accepted in 2012-11-22,  发布年份 2012

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundUnderstanding the influences on physical activity is crucial, particularly among important target groups such as adolescent girls. This study describes cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between parenting style and girls’ participation in organized sport, walking/cycling trips and objectively assessed moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA).MethodsData were collected from adolescent girls (n=222) and their parents in 2004 and again in 2006. Parents self-reported their demographic characteristics and parenting style. Girls self-reported their organized sport participation and weekly walking/cycling trips, while MVPA was assessed using accelerometers. Linear regression and interaction analyses were performed. Interactions between socio-demographic factors and parenting style with organized sport, walking/cycling trips and MVPA are presented.ResultsThere were cross-sectional associations between authoritative (B=−0.45, p=0.042) and indulgent (B=−0.56, p=0.002) parenting and the number of walking/cycling trips, and authoritarian (B=0.27, p=0.033) parenting and frequency of organized sport. Significant interactions included those between: family status, authoritative parenting and daily (p=0.048) and week day (p=0.013) MVPA; education, indulgent parenting and MVPA on weekend days (p=0.006); and, employment, authoritarian parenting and duration and frequency of organized sport (p=0.004), highlighting the complexity of these relationships. Longitudinal analyses revealed significant decreases in organized sport and MVPA, significant increases in walking/cycling trips and no significant associations between parenting and physical activity.ConclusionParenting styles appear to influence walking and cycling trips among adolescent girls, though not physical activity within other domains. Socio-demographic characteristics interact with the relationships between parenting and physical activity. While these findings can inform the development of family-based interventions to improve child and adolescent health, the direction of the observed associations and the number of associations approaching significance suggest the need to further explore this area.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Saunders et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2012