Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2025

06:51
Physical Activity Measurement in Children Accepting Table Tennis Training
Published on: July 27, 2022
2.0K
Parental Influence on Child and Adolescent Physical Activity Level: A Meta-Analysis
Diana L Y Su1, Tracy C W Tang2, Joan S K Chung2
1Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|December 23, 2022
Summary
Positive parental influence encourages children's physical activity (PA). However, parental punishment or discouragement showed no significant link to children's PA levels, suggesting support is key for promoting activity.
Area of Science:
- * Behavioral Science
- * Public Health
- * Pediatrics
Background:
- * Parental social influence is a key factor in children and adolescents' physical activity (PA) participation.
- * Existing research on the relationship between parental influences and child/adolescent PA is inconsistent.
- * This meta-analysis synthesizes evidence on parental social influences (positive, punishment, discouragement) and PA levels.
Approach:
- * Systematic literature search across five major databases (PsycINFO, Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest, SPORTDiscus).
- * Inclusion of 112 eligible studies, extracting 741 effect sizes for analysis.
- * Application of multilevel meta-analysis to quantify associations and moderation effects.
Key Points:
- * Positive parental influence showed a significant positive association with children and adolescents' PA levels (r = 0.202, p < 0.001).
- * Maternal influence, child-reported measures, and subjective PA measures showed significant moderation.
- * Negative parental influences (punishment, discouragement) were not significantly associated with PA levels.
Conclusions:
- * Positive parental social influence is linked to higher physical activity levels in children and adolescents.
- * Parental support for PA appears more effective than punishment or discouragement in promoting activity.
- * Further research is needed to clarify the mixed findings regarding negative parental social influence.
Keywords:
children and youthparental correlatesparental social influencephysical activityreviewsocial supportsportMore Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
106
Adolescence is a pivotal period of identity formation, during which individuals begin to answer questions central to their sense of self, such as "Who am I?" and "Who do I hope to become?" Both parents and peers play critical roles in guiding adolescents through this complex developmental phase.
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
106
Parenting Styles
107
Diana Baumrind's four parenting styles — authoritarian, authoritative, neglectful, and permissive — each influence children's socio-emotional development differently.
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative...
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative...
107
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
5.2K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
5.2K
Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development
63
Social-emotional experiences and cultural influences play significant roles in shaping gender development. During middle childhood, from ages 6 to 11, peer groups become dominant in reinforcing gender norms. Children in this age group often align with same-gender peer groups, which actively encourage behaviors that conform to traditional gender roles. For instance, boys may be discouraged from engaging in activities perceived as feminine, reinforcing culturally dictated norms about masculinity...
63
Nature and Nurture
20.6K
Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience,...
20.6K
Bullying
8.5K
A modern form of aggression is bullying. As you learn in your study of child development, socializing and playing with other children is beneficial for children’s psychological development. However, as you may have experienced as a child, not all play behavior has positive outcomes. Some children are aggressive and want to play roughly. Other children are selfish and do not want to share toys. One form of negative social interactions among children that has become a national concern is...
8.5K

