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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #296496
Title: Physical activity parenting: A systematic review of questionnaires and their associations with child activity levels

Author
item SLEDDENS, E - Maastricht University
item KREMERS, S - Maastricht University
item HUGHES, S - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item CROSS, M - University Of Houston
item THIJS, C - Maastricht University
item DE VRIES, N - Maastricht University
item O'CONNOR, T - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Obesity Reviews
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/2/2012
Publication Date: 11/1/2012
Citation: Sleddens, E.F., Kremers, S.P., Hughes, S.O., Cross, M.B., Thijs, C., De Vries, N.K., O'Connor, T.M. 2012. Physical activity parenting: A systematic review of questionnaires and their associations with child activity levels. Obesity Reviews. 13(11):1015-1033.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Insufficient physical activity (PA) is considered a critical contributor to childhood overweight. Parents are a key in influencing their child's PA through various mechanisms of PA parenting, including support, restriction of PA, and facilitation of enrollment in PA classes or activities. However, study findings are difficult to compare because instruments vary in terms of constructs, psychometric assessment, and type of PA assessed. The goal of the current review was to identify existing PA parenting questionnaires and report on the validation of these measures through findings of their psychometric performance and correlation to youth's PA. The search of eligible studies was restricted to instruments with multiple items. Eleven unique PA parenting questionnaires were identified, and 46 studies that used these instruments were included. Extracted data include sample characteristics, as well as type and assessment methods of parental influence and PA. Findings highlight the tremendous variation in the conceptualization and measurement of PA parenting, common use of non-validated instruments, and lack of comprehensive measures. The development of theory-based PA parenting measures (preferably multidimensional) should be prioritized to guide the study of the parental role in promoting child's PA as well as the design of family-based PA interventions.