Parent - adolescent interactions around physical activity and sport
Creators: name: Bharadia, Parita
Publisher: name: Loughborough University
Year: 2022
Subjects: classificationCode: 420799
subject: Sports science and exercise not elsewhere classified

description: Parents play an important role when it comes to promoting young people’s engagement in physical activity and sport. This thesis explores the interactions between parents and adolescents in relation to physical activity and sport, with a focus on physical activity parenting practices. Three empirical studies are included which explore both parents’ and adolescents’ perceptions of physical activity parenting, using quantitative (self-report questionnaires) and qualitative (family interviews) methods. Study 1a (Chapter 3), outlines the development of a new adolescent report measure of physical activity parenting practices (Physical Activity Parenting with Adolescents; PAPA), and assesses boys’ and girls’ perceptions of physical activity parenting practices in relation to their engagement in physical activity and sport. Study 1b (Chapter 4) investigates physical activity parenting practices in relation to mental health and psychological wellbeing among boys and girls who are involved in competitive and non-competitive physical activity and sport. Study 2 (Chapter 5), outlines the development of a new parent report measure of physical activity parenting practices (Physical Activity Parenting with Adolescents – for Parents; PAPA – P), and assesses mothers’ and fathers’ perceptions of their physical activity parenting practices in relation to parent-child sex differences, their own physical activity levels and self-efficacy for exercise. Finally, Study 3 (Chapter 6) explores parents’ and their adolescent children’s experiences of their family interactions in relation to physical activity during the Coronavirus pandemic. The findings from this research demonstrate that six physical activity parenting practices (i.e., encouragement and praise; pressure; modelling and co-participation; facilitation; involvement; and permissive) are identified by adolescents, and five physical activity parenting practices (i.e., health reinforcement; active encouragement; modelling and co-participation; facilitation; and restriction), are identified by parents highlighting that parents and adolescents may perceive interactions around physical activity differently to one another. In addition, several sex differences in physical activity parenting practices were identified across the studies, with boys reporting higher levels of most physical activity practices than girls, and fathers reporting using more active encouragement in relation to physical activity than mothers. Taken together, the findings highlight that greater parental encouragement and praise, modelling and co-participation, facilitation and involvement in relation to physical activity and sport are related to greater levels of physical activity and sport, and better mental health and psychological wellbeing among boys and girls. For mothers and fathers, greater modelling and co-participation in relation to physical activity are related to greater levels of physical activity, and for mothers, to greater self-efficacy for exercise. The family interviews revealed that the Coronavirus pandemic resulted in parents and adolescents spending more time engaging in physical activity together as a family unit. In addition, parents acknowledged the mental wellbeing benefits of physical activity and used both supportive and controlling approaches to encourage their children to be physically active. Overall, this thesis provides a deeper understanding around the interactions between parents and adolescents in relation to physical activity and sport, and the potential factors related to these interactions. These novel findings can be used to inform future research and the development of family-based interventions to help parents support their adolescent children lead more active, and in turn, healthier lifestyles.