Enjoyment, self-efficacy, and physical activity within parent-adolescent dyads: Application of the actor-partner interdependence model

Abstract

It is unclear the role of salient psychosocial variables, such as physical activity (PA) enjoyment and self-efficacy, has on PA within parent-adolescent dyads. The purpose of this study was to examine the interdependent relationships among enjoyment, efficacy, and self-reported PA within parent-adolescent dyads using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM). The sample consisted of 1854 parent-adolescent dyads enrolled in the Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating (FLASHE) Study. A panel research organization invited panel members balanced to the US population on sex, Census division, household income and size, and race/ethnicity. Panel members were screened for eligibility and web-based surveys were administered to each selected parent-adolescent dyad. Each individual answered questions pertaining to PA enjoyment, PA self-efficacy, and reported weekly PA using validated questionnaires. Interrelationships among the observed variables were analyzed using APIM via a partially recursive path analysis. There was a significant correlation between parent and adolescent PA (r = 0.15, p < 0.001). Psychosocial variables explained more variance in adolescent PA (R2 = 0.252) than parent PA (R2 = 0.037) and the strongest standardized path coefficients were adolescent enjoyment (b = 0.24; 95%CI: 0.18–0.29; p < 0.001) and self-efficacy (b = 0.27; 95%CI: 0.22–0.32; p < 0.001) predicting adolescent PA. Adolescent- and parent-driven effects (0.7%–6.5%) and actor-driven effects (3.3%–5.7%) explained the majority of the systematic dyadic covariance in self-reported PA. There is a relatively strong association between adolescent enjoyment and self-efficacy with adolescent PA and the relationship between parent and adolescent self-reported PA is partially explained by parent and adolescent psychosocial variables and actor-driven effects within APIM.