Vol 12, Issue 5

The Relationship Between Maternal and Obese Children’s Daily Physical Activity.

July 1, 2019 - By 

Authors

Shelby J. Foote, Auburn University
Alexandra Venezia, Auburn University
Darby J. Winkler, Auburn University
Keith R. Losche, University of Utah
Danielle D. Wadsorth, Auburn University
International Journal of Exercise Science 12(5): 1302-1314, 2019. 
DOI: 10.70252/OFDE7813

Abstract

This study examined the effects of maternal influence on child’s daily physical activity. Participants consisted of eight families; parents (n = 9) and obese children (n = 10). Families were asked to attend exercise sessions at a university laboratory for 10 weeks. Daily physical activity was measured with a MovBand 3 which is a wrist worn accelerometer that records physical activity as moves. Linear mixed-effects models were used to predict daily physical activity over time and child physical activity as a function of parent physical activity on a day-to-day basis. Physical activity for all participants did not change significantly (p > .05) over the course of the intervention, however, there was a significant (p = .001) relationship between maternal and child physical activity showing for every step a mother took their child took 1.2 steps. On average, mothers achieved 2825.18 ± 1282.77 fewer moves than their children on a daily basis. Encouraging parents to engage in physical activity with their children may have a positive impact on their obese child’s daily physical activity involvement.

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