title: Parental characteristic patterns associated with maintaining healthy physical activity behavior during childhood and adolescence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Parental characteristics that influence child physical activity (PA) behavior often co-occur. An analytic approach that considers these co-occurring patterns can help researchers better understand the overall context of parental influence. The study aims were to: (1) identify diverse patterns of the relationships among parental characteristics, (2) examine the influence of these parental patterns on child sport participation and moderate-to vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) trajectories during childhood and adolescence, and (3) examine whether family support mediates the influence of the parental patterns on child sport participation and MVPA trajectories.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data from 408 Iowa Bone Development Study cohort families (97% Caucasians; 65 % mothers with a 4-year college degree). From ages 5 to 19 years, the cohort participated in seven accelerometry assessments, reported sports participation every 6 months, and reported perceived family support for PA at age 15. Parents reported family income, education level, and regular PA participation in high school and adulthood. Structural equation modeling was conducted to identify the latent classes represented among these parental characteristics. Sex-adjusted multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to predict sports participation trajectories and MVPA trajectories by latent class and family support.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three parent latent classes were identified: higher family socioeconomic status (SES) and regular PA in both high school and adulthood by both the father and mother (Group 1); lower family SES and regular PA in high school by the father (Group 2); and lower family SES and no regular PA in high school by the father (Group 3). Sex-adjusted ORs of the "drop-out from sports participation" pattern for the children in Groups 1 and 2, compared to Group 3, were 0.38 (95% CI = 0.20, 0.72) and 0.51 (95% CI = 0.26, 1.00), respectively. Sex-adjusted ORs of the "decreasing from moderate MVPA" pattern for the children in Groups 1 and 2, compared to Group 3, were 0.29 (95% CI = 0.11, 0.75) and 1.16 (95% CI = 0.40, 3.37), respectively. Adding family support to the logistic regression model only slightly changed the ORs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings from this study suggest that among lower SES families, the father's role may be important to promote youth to sustain sports participation.
authors.affiliation: Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, 225 E Chicago Ave. Box 157, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA. skwon@luriechildrens.org.
authors.forename: Soyang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: University of Iowa Department of Health and Human Physiology, 130 Field House, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
authors.forename: Kathleen F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Janz
authors.affiliation: University of Iowa Department of Epidemiology, 145 N. Riverside Drive, S418 CPHB, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
authors.forename: Elena M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Letuchy
authors.affiliation: University of Iowa Department of Epidemiology, 145 N. Riverside Drive, S418 CPHB, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
authors.forename: Trudy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.affiliation: University of Iowa Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, 801 Newton Road, Dental Science Building, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005195:Family Relations; D005220:Fathers; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents; D012923:Social Class; D012944:Social Support; D013177:Sports
keywords: Father’s role in child physical activity; Latent class; Moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity; Sports participation