Family Factors Associated with Physical Activity and Sedentary Time in Children Living in Puerto Rico

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PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine associations among parental perceptions of their children’s skills and participation in physical activity (PA) and parental intentions of changing health behaviors with objectively measured PA in Puerto Rican children. METHODS: Seventy-three children (mean±SD; age, 8.9±1.3 yrs; BMI 33.1±10.4 kg.m-2) wore an ActiGraph GT3X accelerometer on their right hip for seven days to estimate time spent in sedentary behaviors (SB), light (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA) PA, and total activity counts for the vertical axis (TACva) and vector magnitude (TACvm). Children also completed a motor proficiency test (MPT), a sit-up test (SUT), and sum of skinfolds (SOS) from two sites (triceps and sub-scapular) was obtained. Parents completed questions on their perceptions (PP) of their child’s abilities and parental intentions (PI) to modify family health related behaviors. Partial correlations, controlling for accelerometer wear time, were used to examine relationships between PP, PI, MPT, SOS and SUT, with time spent in SB, LPA, MVPA, and TACva and TACvm. RESULTS: Significant differences were found between boys and girls for time spent in SB (239.3±74.6 vs. 296.2±128.4, respectively, p=0.024), and MVPA (126.4±40.7 vs. 85.7±42.3, respectively, p<0.001). In girls, PP of child’s speed while running was associated with TACva (r=0.43) and TACVM (r=0.39, p<0.05). PP of how eating behaviors of the family influence eating habits of their children was correlated with SB (r=0.43), MVPA (r=0.41), TACva (r=0.50), and TACVM (r=0.52; all p<0.01). PI of limiting the amount of sweetened beverages was correlated with SB(r=0.47) and TACVM (r=0.37; all p<0.05). In boys, MVPA and TACva were negatively correlated with SOS (r=−0.38 and -0.35, respectively; p<0.01). MVPA was positively correlated with PI to engage in 30-min of PA at least 5 d/wk. (r=0.36, p<0.05). TACVM was positively correlated with parental report of age that their child first walked without support (r=0.36, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Several modifiable factors related to PP and PI are related to time spent in SB and PA in Puerto Rican children. Parents with intentions to positively make changes in behaviors could affect positively impact time spent in PA.