title: Toward a Better Understanding of the Link Between Parent and Child Physical Activity Levels: The Moderating Role of Parental Encouragement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research on adolescent physical activity is mixed regarding the role of parent activity. This study tested parent encouragement, direct modeling, and perceived influence as moderators of objectively-measured (accelerometer) parent and child moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) associations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parent-child dyads (n = 423; mean child age = 11.33 yrs.) wore accelerometers for 7 days; parents completed surveys. Hierarchical linear regression models tested moderation using a product of constituent terms interaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parent-reported encouragement moderated the association between parent and child MVPA (β = -.15, P = .01, ΔR2 = .02, P < .01). Among parents with lower MVPA, child MVPA was higher for children receiving high encouragement (mean = 3.06, SE = .17) vs. low (mean = 3.03, SE = .15, P = .02) and moderate encouragement (mean = 3.40, SE = .09) vs. low (P = .04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physical activity promotion programs may use parent encouragement as a tool to boost child activity, but must consider other child and parent characteristics that could attenuate effects.
authors.affiliation: ChildObesity 180, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University.
authors.forename: Eleanor B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Tate
authors.forename: Anuja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Malia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Mary Ann
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pentz
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Genevieve
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dunton
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires