Examining the Association Between Parental Perceptions and Social Support and Their Child’s Physical Activity Levels

Background: Parents are the agent of change in their child’s lifestyle choices; therefore, actively involving them in promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors is essential. Our study concurrently analyzed 3 forms of parent-reported parental social support (modeling, instrumental support, and encouragement) to determine which factor has a greater impact, if any, is associated with their child’s physical activity (PA) levels. Additionally, this paper investigated parent-reported accuracy of parental perceptions of child’s PA levels and examined whether these perceptions influence their social support toward PA. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the 2019-2020 Texas SPAN survey of second-grade children and their parents. Results: Parents who were physically active with their second-grade child most or all of the time had over 2 times the odds or over 3 times the odds, respectively, of their children meeting adequate PA levels. Latinx/Hispanic parents had 33% lower odds of their children participating in adequate PA levels compared to white parents. We found no significant associations for the other types of social support. Conclusion: This study underscores the significance of involving parents in promoting PA among children, particularly through the provision of instrumental and direct support mechanisms. Culturally sensitive interventions that address parental perceptions and promote support may improve PA among Latinx/Hispanic children. The results emphasize the importance of prioritizing instrumental support over mere encouragement and underscore the necessity of addressing parental misperceptions through educational materials and programs.