Parental Sociodemographic Characteristics, Parental Concerns, and Children’s Physical Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic
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Authors
Bains, Ajaypal
Date
Type
thesis
Language
eng
Keyword
Mediation , Visible Minority , Immigration , COVID-19 , Physical Activity , Parental Concerns , Sociodemographic Characteristics , Marginalized Communities
Alternative Title
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Physical activity (PA) is key to children's health, but nearly half of Canadian children do not meet the recommended levels, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifying correlates and mechanisms influencing PA can inform public health policies and interventions, especially during health crises. This thesis examined the relationships between parental sociodemographic characteristics, parental concerns, and children's PA, and to determine if parental concerns mediated the relationship between parental sociodemographic characteristics and children's PA during the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS: The study utilized the 2020 Statistics Canada survey, Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians - Parenting during the Pandemic, proxy-reported data from 5863 parents of children aged 6-14 years. Multiple logistic regression, Spearman correlations, and mediation analyses were conducted to address the objectives.
RESULTS: Of 5863 parents 91.2% were women, 53.4% were working from home, 15.7% were working outside the home, and 30.9% were working both from home and outside the home during the pandemic. Three quarters (74.3%) of the parents had a university education, 91.9% were a non-visible minority, and 89.3% were born in Canada. Almost half (47.7%) of the parents reported concerns for the amount of PA among their children and 46.7% reported that their children engage in low moderate levels of PA. Parents without a university education (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.18,1.62) and with high concerns for the amount of PA among their children (OR 3.91, 95% CI 3.44, 4.46) were associated with low to moderate PA among their children compared to their university educated and less concerned counterparts. Parental concerns for the amount of PA among their children partially mediated the relationship between parental visible minority status and children’s PA (47%) and the relationship between parental immigration status and children's PA (33%).
CONCLUSIONS: Parents, particularly their concerns and education levels, may play an important role in shaping children’s PA. Also, parents and children from marginalized groups including visible minority and immigrants, may require more support and resources to increase their opportunities and access to PA participation. Future intervention strategies for PA promotion efforts should focus on children within these communities as we recover from the pandemic.
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ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement
Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University
Copying and Preserving Your Thesis
This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.