Abstract
Background: Parents are the ‘gate-keepers’ to young children’s physical activity (PA) and knowledge of their children’s PA levels and preferences may impact the PA opportunities they provide. The current study examined children’s PA preferences (considering sex and grade variations) and the discrepancy between children’s preferences and parents’ perceptions.
Method: Cross-sectional data were collected from 2,363 children (grades 1-4) and their parents. Children reported their PA preferences and PA levels relative to other students. Parents’ reported perceptions of their children’s PA preferences and levels.
Results: Chi-square analyses were conducted to examine sex and grade variations in a) children’s activity preferences, and b) parents’ perceptions of children’s preferences. An additional series of chi-square analyses were conducted to compare children’s preferences with parents’ perceptions. Most boys and girls reported being less physically active than others, while most parents reported that their children were more physically active compared to other children (boys x2=11.79, df=4, p =.03; girls x2= 7.81, df=4, p = .091). The large majority of boys and girls reported that they liked sports, while significantly fewer parents perceived that their children like sports (boys x2=66.63, df=4, p <.001; girls x2= 28.17, df=4, p <.001).
Conclusion: Parents’ perceptions of children’s PA levels and preferences are often not aligned with the preferences of their children. Inaccurate parental perceptions have the potential to be detrimental with regard to the PA opportunities parents provide for their children.
