Abstract
Physical activity during early childhood is a prerequisite for healthy development in many cases. The aim of this study was to assess the relationships of social modelling and support from parents, peers, and siblings and domain-specific physical activity participation in a nationwide sample of preschool boys and girls from Germany. 519 preschool children aged 4–6 and one of their parents participated in the ‘MoMo’ Wave 1 Study between 2009 and 2012. Participants and their parents provided self-reported data on social support modelling, and domain-specific physical activity participation (physical activity in sports clubs, physical activity outside of sports clubs, and outdoor play). Parental, peer, and sibling support and modelling were related to domain-specific physical activity: Parental support was particularly relevant for physical activity in sports clubs, and peer support for outdoor play. Parental modelling was only related to physical activity outside of sports clubs: Maternal modelling was a positive correlate in girls and paternal modelling in boys, respectively. Sibling and peer modelling were especially relevant for physical activity in sports clubs. The results were heterogeneous regarding types and providers of support and modelling. Thus, different providers and types of support should be targeted in physical activity promotion programs for preschool children.
Highlights
Physical activity and outdoor play are essential in early childhood and contribute to a healthy development, as they enable cognitive, physical, emotional, social, and motor learning, as well as well-being [1,2]
Data from 519 preschool children (244 girls and 275 boys) from the Motorik-Modul Longitudinal Study (MoMo) Study were eligible for analysis in the current study
The mean age of the preschool children participating in the study was 5.40 (SD = 0.75) years, ranging from 4–6 years
Summary
Physical activity and outdoor play are essential in early childhood and contribute to a healthy development, as they enable cognitive, physical, emotional, social, and motor learning, as well as well-being [1,2]. The German National Guidelines on Physical Activity recommend at least 180 minutes of physical activity per day in children aged 4–6 years [4]. 2 out of 3 preschool children in Germany [5,6] are not as physically active as recommended by the guidelines, with a higher risk of inactivity in girls compared to boys [5,7,8]. In Germany in the preschool age group (age 4–6), the proportions of children who are regularly physically activity is still higher compared to older children and adolescents and physical activity levels decline with advancing age [5]. Current longitudinal results indicate that the overall amount of physical activity, as well as MVPA in children already declines rapidly from age seven onwards [9]
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