A1 Journal article (refereed)
Child perceived motor competence as a moderator between physical activity parenting and child objectively measured physical activity (2023)

Laukkanen, A., Niemistö, D., Aunola, K., Barnett, L. M., & Sääkslahti, A. (2023). Child perceived motor competence as a moderator between physical activity parenting and child objectively measured physical activity. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 67, Article 102444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102444

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Laukkanen, Arto; Niemistö, Donna; Aunola, Kaisa; Barnett, Lisa M.; Sääkslahti, Arja

Journal or series: Psychology of Sport and Exercise

ISSN: 1469-0292

eISSN: 1878-5476

Publication year: 2023

Publication date: 22/04/2023

Volume: 67

Article number: 102444

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Publication country: Netherlands

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102444

Publication open access: Not open

Publication channel open access: 

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/90620

Abstract

This longitudinal study aimed to examine how physical activity parenting (PAP) directly predicted objectively measured children’s moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentariness over a three-year transitional period from early to middle childhood, and second, whether the children’s perception of motor competence (PMC) mediated or moderated the influence of PAP to children’s MVPA or sedentariness. At time 1 (T1), PAP and children’s (N = 396, mean age 5.80, SD 1.04) PA were assessed by parental questionnaire. Three years later, at time 2 (T2), children’s (N = 396, mean age 8.80, SD 1.04) PMC was measured by a validated pictorial scale, and MVPA and sedentariness were measured by accelerometers. All the analyses were conducted using the Mplus statistical package (Version 8.4). The models were adjusted for the following covariates: children’s PA (T1), gender (T1), age (T1), mean accelerometer measurement in hours per day (T2), and parents’ education level (T1). Results showed that PAP at T1 did not significantly predict level of MVPA or sedentary time at T2 and, therefore, PMC did not mediate the PAP-children’s MVPA or sedentary time relationship either. However, PMC significantly moderated the relationship between PAP and MVPA but not between PAP and sedentary time. The results suggested that parental support positively predicts children’s MVPA among children with low PMC but not among children with high PMC. This unique finding proposes that family-based PA interventions could benefit from screening of children with low PMC and provision of PA counselling to their parents.

Keywords: children (age groups); children (family members); motor skills (general); physical activity; parents; parent-child relationship; longitudinal research

Free keywords: physical activity; sedentary behavior; parenting; parental support; perceived motor competence; longitudinal study

Contributing organizations

Related projects

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2023

JUFO rating: 1