Parents’ Reports of Children’s Physical and Sedentary Behavior Engagement among Parents in Weight Management

Catherine Van Fossen, Haley Kiser, Callie Lambert Brown, Joseph Skelton and Keeley Jean Pratt
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Catherine Van Fossen: Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19207, USA
Haley Kiser: Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Callie Lambert Brown: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
Joseph Skelton: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
Keeley Jean Pratt: Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 7, 1-11

Abstract: Background: The purpose of this study was to explore the associations between demographics, family exercise participation, family discouragement of exercise, and the children’s physical and sedentary behaviors to identify specific areas of physical activity intervention for children with parents engaged in medical weight management (MWM). Methods: Parents ( n = 294) of children aged 2–18 years old were recruited from two university MWM programs to complete a one-time survey. Bivariate analyses tested associations. Results: Parents reported that sedentary activity was higher for children who identified as racial minorities ( t (141) = −2.05, p < 0.05). Mobile phone and tablet use was higher for adolescents compared to school age and young children ( H (2) = 10.96, p < 01) Exercise game use was higher for racial minority children compared to white children (U = 9440.5, z = 2.47, p ≤ 0.03). Male children ( t (284) = 1.83, p < 0.07), children perceived to have a healthy weight status ( t (120) = 4.68, p < 0.00), and younger children ( t (289) = 1.79, p < 0.08) all engaged in more strenuous physical activity. Family exercise participation ( t (162) = −2.93, p < 0.01) and family discouragement of exercise (U = 7813.50, z = −2.06, p ≤ 0.04) were significantly higher for children in racial minority families. Conclusions: Future work should determine methods to engage children and their parents participating in MWM in physical activities together to ensure that the changes the parents are making with MWM are sustainable.

Keywords: physical activity; family support; health behavior; weight management; obesity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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