Associations between parents' and 12-year-old children's sport and vigorous activity: the role of self-esteem and athletic competence

• The aims of this study were to investigate parent–child physical activity (PA) associations and whether children’s self-esteem or athletic competence mediates such associations.Methods:The study population comprised 1124 12-year-old children and their parents. Parents’ PA was assessed using the Baecke questionnaire and a question about sport participation. Children’s PA was assessed by questions about participation in sport and vigorous activities. The children’s self-esteem and athletic competence were assessed by Harter’s Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents.Results:Parents’ PA was strongly associated with their children’s PA. With 2 active parents, the odds ratio for their children to participate in sport was 3.9 (95% CI = 2.2–6.9, girls) and 8.8 (95% CI = 4.3–18.0, boys) compared with having inactive parents. Athletic competence partly mediated these associations.Conclusions:The family is an important target for interventions to increase PA among children, and it might be important to consider ways to reinforce children’s athletic competence.

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