title: Long-term dynamics in physical activity behaviour across the transition to parenthood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Gaining a deeper understanding of the dynamic relationships between the transition to parenthood and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) amongst men and women in Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  12 years of nationally representative panel data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey and a piecewise pre/post fixed-effect modelling strategy that controls for person-specific unobserved effects and allows for non-linear associations are used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both men and women decrease the frequency of MVPA in the years preceding the birth of their first child. An abrupt fall amongst men and a smooth, non-linear decreasing trend amongst women are apparent in the post-birth years. Neither men nor women recover their pre-birth MVPA frequency in subsequent years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parenthood is an important factor influencing MVPA, with more marked impacts on women's than men's behaviour. Policymakers interested in promoting MVPA should focus on parenthood as a critical deterring factor that can trigger long-term trends of low MVPA. The proposed model can be expanded to explore the influence on MVPA of other life-course transitions.
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course, Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perales
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: del Pozo-Cruz
authors.forename: Borja
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: del Pozo-Cruz
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015444:Exercise; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors