title: Associations of parental education and parental physical activity (PA) with children's PA: the ENERGY cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study sought to examine the independent associations of parental education and physical activity (PA) with children's PA across Europe.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 7214 children (10-12 years) were recruited from a school-based cross-sectional survey during 2010 in seven European countries. Weight and height were measured. Parental educational level (PEL) and parents' and children's PA were collected using self-reported questionnaires. Multiple linear regression models were used, comparing children's PA with PEL and PA levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PEL was directly associated with children's PA in Greek and Spanish girls (all P<0.01) and boys' PA in Norway (all P<0.05). Paternal education was directly associated with PA in Hungarian boys (P<0.05). In overall, parental PA was directly associated with children's PA in more than half of the countries involved (all P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our observations suggest that PEL and parental modeling of PA are two independent factors from the home environment influencing the children's PA, but the relationships were gender- and country-specific. Further studies should be focused on intervention strategies for increasing children's PA but considering the important role of these two aspects and especially on the modification of parental modeling of PA.
authors: Department of Physiotherapy and Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain. Electronic address: davidjimenez@unizar.es.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Jiménez-Pavón
authors: Department of Physiotherapy and Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors: Juan M
authors: JM
authors: Fernández-Alvira
authors: EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Saskia J
authors: SJ
authors: Te Velde
authors: EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Johannes
authors: J
authors: Brug
authors: Department of Public Health, Sport and Nutrition, University of Agder, Agder, Norway.
authors: Elling
authors: E
authors: Bere
authors: Društvo za zdravje srca in ožilja Slovenije, Slovenian Heart Foundation, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors: Nataša
authors: N
authors: Jan
authors: Department of Paediatrics, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Kovacs
authors: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece.
authors: Odysseas
authors: O
authors: Androutsos
authors: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece.
authors: Yannis
authors: Y
authors: Manios
authors: Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors: Ilse
authors: I
authors: De Bourdeaudhuij
authors: Department of Physiotherapy and Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors: Luis A
authors: LA
authors: Moreno
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005060:Europe; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education*