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The Influence of Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, and Environmental Factors in Physical Activity Level Patterns During
Rildo de Souza Wanderley Júnior1, Fernanda Cunha Soares1, Rodrigo Antunes Lima2,3
1School of Physical Education, University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
Background:
This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal associations of intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental factors on physical activity (PA) patterns in children over a 4-year period.
Methods:
This longitudinal study used data from a balanced data set of 470 Brazilian children from the ELOS-Pré project. Data were collected in 3 waves (T1: 3-5 y; T2: 5-7 y; and T3: 7-9 y). Parent-reported PA time and ecological factors (child interest, parental support, and access to play areas) were analyzed using multilevel mixed-effects linear regressions.
Results:
At T1, parental support (B = 18.43 min/d) and access to play areas (B = 23.74 min/d) were associated with higher PA. At T2, child's interest (B = 23.96 min/d) and access to play areas (B = 20.85 min/d) were significant. No factors were associated with PA at T3. More critically, sustained positive exposures from T1 to T2, such as consistent interest or ongoing parental support, were associated with substantially more PA (37-43 additional min/d) compared with peers lacking these consistent factors.
Conclusions:
Sustained positive supports across multiple ecological levels are more critical for promoting lasting PA during childhood than transient exposures. Interventions should focus on creating enduring supportive ecosystems for children.
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