Abstract
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.
Highlights
Understanding the influences on physical activity is crucial, among important target groups such as adolescent girls
The present study describes cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between parenting style and adolescent girls’ participation in organized sport, walking/cycling trips and objectively assessed moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and explores potential interaction with socio-demographic factors
These analyses are based on a sub-sample from the Children Living in Active Neighbourhoods (CLAN) cohort study
Summary
Understanding the influences on physical activity is crucial, 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). Girls appear to be less physically active than boys across all age groups [8]. Sex differences in the types and intensities of physical activity engaged in have been reported, with boys undertaking more vigorous-intensity physical activity (VPA) [9], moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) [10], organized sport [11] and walking and cycling in the local neighbourhood [12] than girls. Understanding the influences on participation among girls is necessary to increase physical activity among this important target group
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