FAMILY GUIDANCE AND HEALTHY HABITS IN PRIMARY EDUCATION STUDENTS

The family is part of children's social and educational context. It is important to identify family factors that influence the educational process to outline actions for family guidance. From this perspective, the aim of this study is to know if the parents' educational level influences the amount of practice of physical activity carried out by their children in Primary Education. 284 children (6 to 11 years old) were selected. Their parents were asked about their educational level (low, medium, high) and about the physical activity of their children (throughout the week, school days and weekends). The results indicate that the children of families with a medium-high educational level comply with the recommendations for healthy physical activity. Also, they present higher amounts of physical activity at different times as compared to children from families with low educational levels. In turn, parents with different educational levels, have an influence on a greater practice of physical activity than those with the same level. These data highlight the importance of guiding families, especially those with a low educational level, on regarding the skills and abilities necessary to promote healthy habits in the family context. Likewise, the results are of interest to schools to involve families in programs to promote physical activity.