Parent Support, Perceptions, and Child Attributes Affect Child Activity

Objectives: In this study we examined the moderation effects of child attributes on the relationship between parent perception of child coordination, physical activity (PA) parenting practices, child enjoyment of PA, and child PA participation and examined the mediation effects of PA par enting practices and child PA enjoyment on the association between parent perception of child coordination and PA participation. Methods: Parents (N = 120) provided consent and completed data about their children's PA and related correlates. We used linear regression to examine child sex, age, race, and weight status as moderators, and to examine parent support and child enjoyment as mediators of the relationship between child coordination and PA participation. Results: Child race (b = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.20, 1.20) and weight status (b = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.99) moderated the relationship between child coordination and parent support of child PA. Parent support of child PA and child enjoyment fully mediated the relationship between child coordination and PA participation (95% CI: 0.08, 0.36), mediating 56% of the observed effect. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that future interventions need to examine parent and child attributes (eg, perception of child coordination and race/weight status) as effect modifiers of the relationship between PA parenting practices and child PA participation.