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Title: Environmental and cultural correlates of physical activity parenting practices among Latino parents with preschool-aged children

Author
item O'CONNOR, TERESIA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item CERIN, ESTER - University Of Hong Kong
item LEE, REBECCA - University Of Houston
item PARKER, NATE - University Of Houston
item CHEN, TZU - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item HUGHES, SHERYL - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item BARANOWSKI, TOM - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/2014
Publication Date: 5/22/2014
Citation: O'Connor, T., Cerin, E., Lee, R., Parker, N., Chen, T.A., Hughes, S., Baranowski, T. 2014. Environmental and cultural correlates of physical activity parenting practices among Latino parents with preschool-aged children [abstract]. International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Annual Conference, May 21-24, 2014, San Diego, California. Symposium S06.4.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Parents can influence their children's physical activity (PA) through parenting practices (PP). Correlates of PA-PP have not been investigated. This study therefore aimed to examine the independent contributions of (1) socio-demographic, (2) cultural, (3) parent perceived-environmental, and (4) objectively-measured environmental factors, to PP that encourage or discourage preschoolers' PA in a Latino sample of parents. A cross-sectional study of Latino parents (n=240) was conducted. Validated scales assessed: socio-demographics; cultural variables (acculturation, familism); and perceived environmental variables (signs of disorder, traffic safety, stranger danger, neighborhood informal social control, active play equipment availability, and children's PA places). Participant's home address was linked to objective crime and traffic risk indices based on census block groups. The preschoolers PA-PP instrument measured the two dependent variables: A) Encouraging child PA-PP with one sub-scale (engagement/structure), and two single items (outdoor toy availability; sports registration); and B) Discouraging child PA-PP with 4 subscales: Promote inactive transport, promote screen time, psychological control, and safety concerns. Hierarchical regression models were built in four contributory steps. The total explained outcome variance (R2) was computed for each set of predictors to a particular PP sub-factor. Significant correlations to PA-PP included: Socio-demographics with outdoor toy availability, psychological control, and promotion of inactivity; Cultural factors with safety concerns; Perceived environmental attributes with five of seven PP; and Objectively measured environmental attributes with none of the PP. Interventions promoting PA among Latino preschoolers may need to address parent's environmental perceptions to effectively promote PA-PP that encourage PA while reducing PA-PP that discourage PA.