Associations between Parental Support and Children’s Physical Activity (Shanghai Study)

By: Jordan Clark Carunungan

Researcher:

Jin-Tao Hong, Si-Tong Chen, Yang Liu, et al. (BMC Public Health)

Background of the Research:

With increasing concern over low physical activity (PA) levels among school-aged children, this study investigated how different types of parental support (encouragement, involvement, financial support, modelling) were associated with children’s moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). It stems from the need to clarify which specific parental behaviours most strongly influence children’s PA levels.

Research Objectives:

• To examine associations between various types of parental support and children’s MVPA.
• To assess gender and age differences in these associations.
• To inform the development of family-based physical activity interventions that could help increase PA among children.

Research Methodology:

Research Design:

This study used a quantitative cross-sectional approach to explore how different types of parental support relate to children’s moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).

Sampling & Participants:

• Multi-stage stratified and random cluster sampling across 711 schools in Shanghai.
• Total of 61,429 school-aged children (ages 6–18, ~50.7% boys) and their parents participated.

Data Collection:

• Self-reported questionnaires were administered to students for physical activity (MVPA) frequency and to parents for parental support behaviours.
• MVPA was defined based on ≥60 minutes of activity per day. 
•  Four categories of parental support were measured:

1. Parental encouragement (PAEN) – verbal encouragement for PA.

2. Parental involvement (PAIV) – participation in PA with children.

3. Parental financial support (PAFS) – paying for sports equipment or training.

4. Parental modeling (PAMD) – parents’ own participation in PA serving as examples.

Statistical Analysis:

• Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests for MVPA differences across support categories.

• Logistic regression provided odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs) to examine associations. 

Key Findings:

The study revealed several important insights:

Family Involvement and Physical Literacy:

• Higher levels of family participation were linked to improved physical literacy, including increased motivation, skills, and confidence in physical activities.
• Example: Students whose families actively supported sports participation showed more enthusiasm and competence.

Parental Attitudes Influence Outcomes:

• Parents with positive attitudes toward physical activities encouraged regular participation, strengthening students’ interest and habit formation.

Home School Cooperation is Limited:

• Many parents lacked deep communication with schools regarding physical education programs, which limited family involvement’s effectiveness.

Influencing Factors:

• Time constraints, family economic conditions, and parental knowledge about physical education affected the degree of involvement observed.

Conclusion:

This study concluded that various forms of parental support significantly influence children’s MVPA participation, but the strength of the associations varied by type of support, gender, and age groups. Most notably, parental modeling, when parents are active themselves consistently predicted higher MVPA regardless of demographic factors. This suggests that parents acting as positive physical activity role models may be especially important in promoting active lifestyles among children and adolescents. 

Final Thoughts:

This large-scale study provides robust evidence that parental behaviours matter for children’s physical activity - not just what parents say (encouragement) but what they do (modeling activity) and how they support (involvement and resources). For your thesis on parent support activities to enhance physical education performance, this research supports the idea that development of structured parental involvement strategies (especially encouraging active lifestyles for families themselves) could be an effective component of school programs. Interventions that educate parents on how to actively model and support physical activity may directly contribute to improved physical education outcomes. 

References:

Zhang, C. (2024). Family Involvement and Physical Education: A Collaborative Strategy to Enhance Students’ Physical Literacy. Journal of Education and Educational Research, 9(3), 373–375. https://doi.org/10.54097/0xj1aa75