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Hyper-parenting is negatively associated with physical activity among 7-12year olds
1School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Canada; Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Canada.
Preventive Medicine
|January 31, 2015
Summary
Certain parenting styles like "little emperor," "tiger mom," and "concerted cultivation" are linked to less physical activity in children. Helicopter parenting showed no association with activity levels.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Pediatric Health
- Parenting Studies
Background:
- Hyper-parenting styles are increasingly prevalent, with varying definitions and potential impacts on child behavior.
- Understanding the relationship between specific parenting approaches and child physical activity is crucial for public health.
- Previous research has not comprehensively examined the association between distinct hyper-parenting styles and children's engagement in physical activities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between four distinct hyper-parenting styles—helicopter, little emperor, tiger mom, and concerted cultivation—and the physical activity levels of children aged 7-12 years.
- To determine if specific facets of hyper-parenting correlate with variations in outdoor play, active transportation, and organized sports participation.
Main Methods:
- A survey was administered to 724 North American parents of children aged 7-12 years in May 2014.
- Parental engagement in helicopter, little emperor, tiger mom, and concerted cultivation styles was assessed, alongside child's frequency of outdoor play, walking/biking, and organized sports.
- Z-scores were used to categorize parents into low, below average, average, above average, and high groups for each parenting style.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in outdoor play, active transportation, or organized sports were found across different levels of helicopter parenting.
- Children of parents in the low 'little emperor' group exhibited higher scores for outdoor play and active transportation compared to average, above average, and high groups.
- Children of parents in the low 'tiger mom' and 'concerted cultivation' groups showed significantly higher scores for outdoor play, active transportation, and organized sports than those in the average, above average, and high groups.
Conclusions:
- The 'little emperor,' 'tiger mom,' and 'concerted cultivation' parenting styles are associated with reduced physical activity in children aged 7-12 years.
- These findings suggest that certain intensive parenting approaches may inadvertently limit opportunities for physical activity and active lifestyles in children.
- Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms underlying these associations and to develop targeted interventions.
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