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Parent Perceptions of Changes in Child Physical Activity During COVID-19 Stay-At-Home Orders

Amy A Eyler1, Laurel Schmidt1, Maura Kepper1

  • 1Prevention Research Center in St. Louis, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States.

Frontiers in Public Health
|June 24, 2021
PubMed

Insights

During COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, most parents observed decreased child physical activity. Lack of playmates and adult supervision were key social barriers, not environmental ones, impacting activity levels.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic and associated stay-at-home orders presented unprecedented challenges to maintaining children's physical activity.
  • Understanding parental perceptions of these changes and associated barriers is crucial for developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate parental perceptions of changes in children's physical activity during COVID-19 stay-at-home mandates.
  • To identify environmental and social barriers contributing to altered physical activity levels in children.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study design was employed, collecting data via online surveys distributed through social media and community groups.
  • The survey targeted parents of children aged 5-12, assessing perceived physical activity changes and barriers before and during stay-at-home orders.
  • Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, bivariate comparisons, and multinomial-logistic regression to examine associations between barriers and physical activity changes.

Main Results:

  • Data from 245 parents indicated that 63.7% reported a decrease in their children's physical activity.
  • Social barriers, such as lack of playmates and adult supervision, were more frequently cited than environmental barriers.
  • Multivariate analysis revealed that lack of playmates (OR=4.72) and adult supervision (OR=11.82) significantly increased the odds of reporting decreased physical activity; no environmental barriers were significant.

Conclusions:

  • Parental perceptions highlight social factors as primary barriers to children's physical activity during pandemic-related restrictions.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic offers insights into developing targeted social and environmental strategies to promote physical activity in children.
  • Assessing parental perspectives is vital for informing future public health initiatives aimed at improving pediatric physical activity.

Keywords:
COVID-19barrierschildrenenvironmentparentingphysical activitysocial

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