A systematic review of methods to measure family co‐participation in physical activity

Abstract

The family environment is key in influencing children's health behaviours. Encouraging family co-participation in physical activity may therefore be an effective approach to increasing children's physical activity levels. Yet, little is known about how to best assess family co-participation in physical activity. This review summarizes methods to measure family co-participation in physical activity, which was defined as joint physical activities including at least one healthy child (0-18 years) and one other family member. Methods were identified through a systematic literature search, cross-referencing pre-selected reviews and contacting research groups. Thirty-seven measurement methods were included. Questionnaires were the most common method used, with the majority assessing frequency of co-participation and few also assessing duration and type. Reliability and internal consistency of scales were often reported, but rarely specified for the item(s) relevant to co-participation. Other methods of measuring co-participation included diaries, event history calendars, direct observations and accelerometry combined with diary, ecological momentary assessment or global positioning systems (GPS). Whilst a large number of measurement methods of family co-participation in physical activity exist, few are comprehensive and/or report acceptable psychometric properties. Future work should focus on reaching consensus in defining family co-participation in physical activity, and subsequently developing reliable and valid measures.

Individual-, home- and preschool-level correlates of preschool children’s sedentary time

“…Being active in PA places may provide better possibilities for children to have unstructured free play that allows them to move around, and therefore is associated with lower ST. Regular co-participation in PA, either inside or outside, benefits the development of children's social, self-regulation and motor skills, but also naturally provides healthy role-modelling opportunities to caregivers [67]. Most of the items included in these visiting PA places variables were activities conducted outside, for instance, in yards, playgrounds and nature.…”

Parental Education and Pre-School Children’s Objectively Measured Sedentary Time: The Role of Co-Participation in Physical Activity

“…One parent of the family completed the questionnaire, either in paper- or electronic form. As recommended in a recent review and previously used in this age-group, co-participation in PA was measured by capturing the frequency of co-participation and type of activities completed [ 27 , 43 ]. The type of activities included in the question were purposefully designed for the Finnish context based on our formative work among Finnish parents with preschool-aged children [ 44 ].…”

Associations of Physical Activity and Sedentary Time in Primary School Children with Their Parental Behaviors and Supports

“…It has been suggested that parents play a critical role in developing and shaping the PA and sedentary behavior of their children through role modelling [ 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Previous studies on primary school aged children and their parents have examined the associations between objectively measured PA or sedentary time in parents and their children [ 6 , 7 , 9 ].…”