Parental influences on different types and intensities of physical activity in youth: A systematic review

Objectives: To examine parental influences on youth physical activity (PA). It has been noted in several reviews that the correlates of different types and intensities of PA need to be identified, yet extant reviews have made little distinction between types and intensities of PA. Design: Systematic review of cross-sectional and longitudinal research. Methods: Published English-language papers were identified (n = 96) using electronic databases and manual searches of reference lists. Research reporting a measure of PA for children (6-11 years) and/or adolescents (12-18 years) and at least one potential parental correlate of PA was included. Results: Cross-sectional research demonstrated that parental influence can be important for different types/intensities of PA in young people. In children parents played an important role in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), overall PA and leisure-time PA through direct involvement and being active role models and in organised PA through a combination of methods such as modelling, transport and encouragement. For adolescents however, parental influence was less clear but research suggested that parents' PA level, attitudes towards PA, transport and encouragement were important for them to be physically active. Longitudinal data, although limited in number, demonstrated that overall support predicted children's organised PA over time and fathers' PA predicted adolescents' overall PA. Conclusion: Parents provide a target for interventions to increase youth PA through encouragement to promote the importance of PA to their child either through their own behaviour or supporting their child to be active. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.