title: Parental and environmental correlates of physical activity of children attending preschool.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine, using a social-cognitive framework and structural equation modeling, if parent-reported family physical activity (PA) variables are related to PA of young children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children attending 23 preschools in and around Columbia, South Carolina.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred sixty-nine children (48.0% male and 50.4% black) and their parents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Family variables were reported by parents and included parent PA, parent enjoyment of PA, importance to adults of child playing sports and being active, and family support.
  
  
  METHODS
  Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of children was modeled as a latent variable using PA from direct observation, accelerometers, and parent's perception of the child's athletic coordination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A model of direct and indirect relations of family variables, preschool quality, home PA equipment, and child's enjoyment of PA had acceptable fit (root mean square error of approximation, 0.053; comparative fit index, 0.90). Parent PA, parent enjoyment of PA, and importance of child's PA were significantly related to family support. Family support, quality of preschool attended, home PA equipment, and child's enjoyment of PA were positively related to child's PA. However, there was no direct relationship between parent PA and the child's PA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although parent PA was not directly related to children's MVPA, results showed that parent PA indirectly affects preschool children's MVPA via its influence on family support for children's PA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly St, Columbia, SC 29208, USA. mdowda@mailbox.sc.edu
authors.forename: Marsha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dowda
authors.forename: Karin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Jonathan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Wonwoo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Byun
authors.forename: Russell R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Pate
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004777:Environment; D016552:Ergometry; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents; D012578:Schools, Nursery; D013022:South Carolina; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires