Longitudinal Relationships Between Parental Support and Physical Activity Behavior Among Hispanic Children With Overweight/Obesity

Abstract

Childhood obesity disproportionately affects Hispanic children in the United States, with physical inactivity as a major contributor. Hispanic culture emphasizes family ties, positioning parents as key influencers of children’s physical activity (PA). Emerging evidence suggest that children’s PA may shape parental behaviors, such as parents’ provision of support for PA and engagement in PA alongside their child. This study examined bi-directional associations between parental PA support and child PA among Hispanic children with overweight/obesity. Secondary analyses were conducted using three waves of data from the Health4Kids randomized controlled trial, a family-based intervention in Texas with rolling enrollment between June 2015 and August 2018. Participants included 253 Hispanic children (M_age = 8.75 ± 1.68 years; 50.6% male) with overweight/obesity and one parent (94% mothers). Children wore an ActiGraph GT3X accelerometer for 7 days to measure moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Parents completed the Comprehensive Home Environment Survey to assess PA modeling and support at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Separate cross-lagged panel models were computed for child MVPA with parental modeling and support. Results revealed a bi-directional relationship between child MVPA and parental support from baseline to 6 months, however, this relationship did not persist from 6 to 12 months. No significant cross-lagged associations were observed between parental modeling and child MVPA across any time points. Findings highlight a bi-directional relationship between parental support and child PA, suggesting that while parental support facilitates child PA, active children may also prompt parents to provide greater support. Parental modeling showed no significant influence on child PA, indicating that direct support may be more impactful than modeling. Overall, results highlight the importance of examining specific parental influences and suggest that parental support may be a critical target for interventions aiming to promote PA among Hispanic children with overweight/obesity.