Tělesná Kultura (Jun 2015)
The relationship between physical activity and sedentary behaviour in parents and their children aged 9-12
Abstract
BACKGROUND: It is documented that parents have an essential influence on the physical activity (PA) of their children. More physically active parents bring up more physically active children in comparison with children of less physically active parents. However, the relationship between parents-child PA is not exactly quantified and little is known about whether the parents' PA helps their children achieve the currently recommended daily step count (SC) on weekdays and at weekends. PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine and quantify the relationship between parents' behaviour (SC and screen time [ST]) and children's SC on weekdays and at weekends. This study also investigates whether parents' level of SC helps children achieve the step count recommendations. METHODS: The participants (388 parents aged 35-45 and their 485 children aged 9-12) were randomly recruited from 21 Czech government-funded primary schools. The participants recorded their SC (The Yamax Digiwalker SW-200) and their ST duration for seven consecutive days (≥ 10 hours/day) during April-May and September-October of 2013. The associations between the parents' behaviour (SC and ST) and children's SC were estimated using general linear regression. Logistic regression (enter method) was used to examine the odds of achievement of the recommendations of 11,000 SC/day for girls and 13,000 SC/day for boys. RESULTS: Each 1,000 SC increase in the mothers' (fathers') SC/weekday was significantly (p < .05) associated with an extra 261 SC/day in their daughters and 413 (244) SC/day in their sons. Each 1,000 SC increase in mothers' (fathers') SC/weekend day was significantly (p < .05) associated with an extra 523 (386) SC/day in their daughters and 508 (435) SC/day in their sons. A reduction in the mothers' ST by 30 minutes per weekend day was significantly (p < .05) associated with an extra 494 SC/day in their daughters and 467 SC/day in their sons. The children of the mothers and fathers who met the weekend recommendation of 10,000 steps were 5.48 (95% CI: 1.65-18.19; p < .01) and 3.60 times, respectively (95% CI: 1.21-10.74; p < .05) more likely to achieve the weekend recommendation than the children of less active parents. The children of the mothers who reached the weekday recommendation of 10,000 steps were 4.94 times (95% CI: 1.45-16.82; p < .05) more likely to fulfil the SC recommendation on weekdays than the children of less active mothers. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed a quantifiable relationship between the parent-child SC/day and mothers' ST and children's SC on the weekends. A replacement of at least 30 minutes of time that parents (especially mothers) and children spend together in sedentary pursuits with joint physical activity may result in increased weekend physical activity by a perceptible 500 steps/day.
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