title: Relationship of parental health-related behaviours and physical fitness in girls and boys.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Physical activity (PA) and physical fitness (PF) are known to be closely connected. Various environmental and biological constraints have been shown to influence children's PA with parents being among strong determinants of their children's PA behaviour. However, little is known about parental influence on PF in children. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the influence of parental health-related behaviours and attitudes on PF in boys and girls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Baseline data of 1,875 primary school children (7.1 ± 0.6 years; 50 % male) were included in the analyses. Lateral jumping performance was used as a proxy for whole-body coordination and the 6-min run for cardiovascular fitness. Parental health-related behaviours, attitudes and sociodemographic variables were assessed via questionnaire. Regression analyses, adjusting for age and BMI, were performed separately for boys and girls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final models of the regression analyses showed that children's age and BMI are significantly related to PF. Mothers' self-efficacy to encourage their children to be active is significantly associated with boys' coordination and cardiovascular fitness and girls' coordination. Mothers' PA affects PF in boys, not in girls. Maternal smoking has a significantly negative effect on both boys' and girls' cardiovascular fitness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that parental health-related behaviours and self-efficacy to encourage their children to be active affect children's PF. Influencing factors, however, differ in girls and boys, and mothers seem especially influential.
authors.affiliation: Division of Sports and Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, Ulm University Medical Centre, Frauensteige 6, 89075 Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Nanette
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Erkelenz
authors.affiliation: Division of Sports and Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, Ulm University Medical Centre, Frauensteige 6, 89075 Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Schreiber
authors.affiliation: Division of Sports and Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, Ulm University Medical Centre, Frauensteige 6, 89075 Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobel
authors.affiliation: Division of Sports and Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, Ulm University Medical Centre, Frauensteige 6, 89075 Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kettner
authors.affiliation: Division of Sports and Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, Ulm University Medical Centre, Frauensteige 6, 89075 Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Drenowatz
authors.affiliation: Division of Sports and Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, Ulm University Medical Centre, Frauensteige 6, 89075 Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Jürgen M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Steinacker
keywords: Body weight; Children; Exercise; Home environment