An Examination of Physical Activity and Motor Competence in Parents and Children

Abstract

Both parents’ and children’s physical activity levels are extremely low in the United States, with documented adverse consequences on physical and mental health status. One potential contributing factor to low physical activity is low motor competence. Motor competence is important to consider due to its established association with physical activity. Motor competence provides the foundation for movement and play; this skill needs to be learned, practiced, and reinforced. Perceived competence refers to one’s self-perceptions of their actual abilities and is associated with motor competence and physical activity. The home environment offers an ideal setting to target low physical activity levels in parents and children, but few studies have examined parents’ associations and determinants. Before developing interventions, parents’ associations and determinants of physical activity and motor competence warrant further investigation. A mixed methods approach was adopted in this dissertation study to explore associations of and beliefs about physical activity, motor competence, and perceived competence in parents and children. A secondary purpose of this study was to examine the impact of COVID-19 on physical activity, as this study was converted from an in-person to online format amid the pandemic. Anthropometric data and perceived competence assessments were completed online; motor skill assessments were performed, filmed, and uploaded by parent-child dyads; physical activity was assessed using accelerometers mailed directly to parent-child dyads’ homes; and interviews were conducted through Zoom. Aim 1 examined the associations of physical activity, motor competence, and perceived competence in parents and children. No significant association was observed between these three variables among either parents or children. For children, these findings do not support widely accepted conceptual models in motor development; this discrepancy may be attributed to the adopted measures of motor competence and perceived competence as well as this study’s online format. Limited research has examined parents’ motor competence. Aims 2 and 3 explored the associations between physical activity, motor competence, and perceived competence in parent-child dyads. Physical activity and motor competence were significantly associated. Parents thus played key roles in supporting physical activity and motor competence in their children, highlighting the importance of parent determinants on children’s health behaviors. Aim 4 documented and described beliefs about physical activity and motor competence through semi-structured interviews and the triangulation of all data sources. Seven themes were derived from interviews: knowledge, perceptions, engagement, benefits, barriers, motivators, and COVID-19. Interviews indicated that parents had accurate knowledge about physical activity and motor competence whereas children did not. Parents and children both held positive perceptions, identified benefits and barriers, and engaged in physical activity. Parents were motivated to be active because of their children, whereas children were motivated by social factors. COVID-19 negatively influenced physical activity. Triangulation revealed that parents had accurate knowledge but inaccurate perceptions about their children’s physical activity and motor competence. Children overestimated their physical activity on questionnaires but described it accurately during interviews. Regarding COVID-19, parents reported spending more hours with their children, but no differences emerged in self-reported physical activity. Together, the results of this dissertation study suggest that family health interventions are crucial given parents’ influences on their children’s physical activity and motor competence. Parents and children seem to possess positive perceptions about physical activity and motor competence yet need external motivators and opportunities to engage in such activities. Additionally, COVID-19 appears to have negatively affected parents and children.