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Associations Between Parental Physical Activity and Preschool Children's Physical Activity and Social Behavior: A

Despoina Ourda1, Maria Karatzioti1, Marianthi Koutsokosta1

  • 1Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.

Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 26, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Parental physical activity positively influences preschool children's activity levels. However, it shows minimal impact on their social behavior at school, emphasizing the importance of parental role modeling for children's movement.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Behavioral Science
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Parental physical activity is a key factor in children's health.
  • Understanding the link between parental and child physical activity is crucial for early intervention.
  • Preschool years are a critical period for establishing lifelong physical activity habits.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between parental physical activity and preschool children's physical activity.
  • To examine the relationship between parental physical activity and preschool children's social behavior.
  • To explore the influence of parental beliefs on children's sedentary behavior.

Main Methods:

  • 151 preschool children and their parents participated.
  • Child psychosocial development was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.
  • Parental and child physical activity was measured using the Preschool-age Children's Physical Activity Questionnaire (home version).

Main Results:

  • Parental physical activity was consistently and positively associated with children's physical activity across all intensity levels.
  • Parental physical activity frequency and duration correlated with children's low-, moderate-, and vigorous-intensity activity.
  • Parental beliefs about physical activity were negatively associated with children's sedentary behavior, but parental activity showed no significant link to social behavior.

Conclusions:

  • Parental physical activity is a significant correlate of preschool children's physical activity.
  • The direct association between parental physical activity and broader psychosocial development in children appears limited.
  • Parental role modeling and attitudes towards physical activity are vital for shaping children's movement behaviors.
Abstract

Keywords:
antisocial behaviorkindergartnerparental influenceparental modelingprosocial behavior

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