Physical Activities Promote Resilience of Children in Single-Mother Families: Results from A-CHILD Study

Children from single-mother families often face adverse health and developmental outcomes. However, limited research exists on the potential effectiveness of support systems in fostering resilience among these children. This study aimed to examine the effects of physical activity on the resilience of children in single-mother families.

This study used longitudinal data from the Adachi Child Health Impact of Living Difficulty (A-CHILD) study in Japan (N = 3076). Single motherhood status was assessed at baseline in 2015 (when the children were in 1st grade). Subsequently, the frequency of children's engagement in physical activity was evaluated in 2016 (2nd grade). The resilience of children was assessed in 2020 (in 6th grade) using the Children's Resilient Coping Scale (CRCS). Structural equation modeling was used to examine the mediating effects of physical activity on child resilience.

Single-mother families constituted 7.2% of study samples in 1st grade. In the 2nd grade, the children exhibited lower participation in physical activities, which subsequently showed lower resilience scores by the time they reached 6th grade. The duration of physical activity mediated the effect of single-mother families on resilience only for boys (84% of total effect).

The relationship between single motherhood and children's lower resilience was found to be mediated by the duration of children's physical activity, specifically among boys attending elementary school in Japan. Enhancing opportunities for physical activities among children from single-mother families could prove effective in enhancing their resilience levels.