“You’ve got to settle down!” Mothers’ perceptions of physical activity in their young children_2015.pdf

AbstractBackground: Mothers are important mediators of children’s physical activity (PA) level and risk of obesity, howeverprevious studies of maternal perceptions of child PA have been limited. Furthermore, it is unknown if maternalperceptions of child PA are predicted by family, mother and child characteristics. Therefore objectives of this studywere to 1) evaluate maternal perceptions of PA in their children and 2) test associations of family, mother and childcharacteristics with these perceptions.Methods: 278 low-income mothers of children (mean age 70.9 months) participated in an audio-tapedsemi-structured interview. Transcripts were systematically analyzed using the constant comparative method andthemes were generated. A coding scheme to classify the themes appearing in each transcript was developed andreliably applied. Anthropometrics were measured. Demographics and questionnaires (the Confusion, Hubbub andOrder Scale, The Parenting Scale, and the Child Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ)) were collected. Logistic regressionmodels were used to test the associations of family, mother and child characteristics with each theme.Results: In this sample of low-income United States mothers, two themes emerged: 1) Mothers perceive theirchildren as already very active (87.8 %, n = 244), predicted by the child being younger, the child not beingoverweight, and higher child CBQ Activity Level; and 2) Mothers view their children’s high activity level asproblematic (27.0 %, n = 75), predicted by lower Parenting Laxness, the child being male and lower child CBQInhibitory Control.Conclusions: Low-income United States mothers have unique perceptions of PA in their children; these beliefs areassociated with characteristics of the child and mother but not characteristics of the family. Further understandingof contributors to maternal perceptions of child PA may inform future childhood obesity interventions. Theinfluence of these perceptions on physical activity outcomes in low-income children should be pursued in futureresearch.