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Social Support and Modelling in Relation to Physical Activity Participation and Outdoor Play in Preschool Children

Anne Kerstin Reimers1, Karolina Boxberger2, Steffen C E Schmidt3

  • 1Department of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Gebbertstrasse 123b, 91058 Erlangen, Germany. anne.reimers@fau.de.

Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|October 20, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Parental, peer, and sibling support and modelling influence preschool children's physical activity. Different social influences are key for specific activities like sports clubs or outdoor play.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Public Health
  • Sports Science

Background:

  • Physical activity in early childhood is crucial for healthy development.
  • Understanding social influences on children's activity is vital for intervention.
  • Previous research indicates social factors play a role, but specifics for preschool age require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between social modelling and support from parents, peers, and siblings.
  • To investigate how these social factors relate to domain-specific physical activity in preschool children.
  • To identify which social providers and types of support are most influential for different physical activities.

Main Methods:

  • Nationwide sample of 519 preschool children (aged 4-6) and their parents in Germany.
  • Data collected via self-report from participants and parents in the 'MoMo' Wave 1 Study (2009-2012).
  • Assessed social support, social modelling, and domain-specific physical activity (sports clubs, outside sports clubs, outdoor play).

Main Results:

  • Parental support strongly linked to sports club participation; peer support linked to outdoor play.
  • Parental modelling associated with physical activity outside sports clubs (maternal for girls, paternal for boys).
  • Sibling and peer modelling were significant for sports club activity; results varied by support type and provider.

Conclusions:

  • Social modelling and support from family and peers significantly impact preschool physical activity.
  • Targeted interventions should consider the specific social influences relevant to different types of physical activity.
  • Promoting physical activity requires tailored strategies addressing various social providers and support mechanisms.

Keywords:
Germanychildchild careexerciseparentssocial environment

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