Washington: A healthy lifestyle must include physical activity, but hardly one in three persons in the United States meets the weekly exercise recommendation. Parents find it more challenging to maintain their fitness since they frequently put their children's needs before their own.
According to a recent study titled "The Association between Adult Sport, Fitness, and Recreational Physical Activity and Number and Age of Children Present in the Household," adults who have several young children exercise considerably less vigorously than those who have fewer or no children. The results have significant ramifications for people who want to be more physically active but find it difficult to make the time because of their caring obligations.
The study, which was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, was based on an examination of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which included 2,034 adults between the ages of 22 and 65 and covered the years 2007 to 2016.
The relationship between vigorous and moderate physical activity and the number and age of children in a family was investigated by the researchers. According to the study's findings, parents with two or more children in this age range reported engaging in 80 fewer minutes of strenuous physical exercise each week than those without kids or with just one. Similarly, adults with three or more children aged 6-17 reported 50 fewer minutes of weekly vigorous physical activity compared to those with no children, one or just two kids in the household. However, there were no significant differences in weekly moderate physical activity regardless of the number of children in the household.
“Parents often face numerous challenges in finding the time and energy to engage in regular physical activity while caring for their children. By understanding these barriers, we can develop targeted interventions to help parents lead healthier and more active lives,” said study co-author Bettina Beech, Chief Population Health Officer at the University of Houston, and clinical professor of population health at the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine.
The lead author of the study is Jerraco Johnson, an assistant professor of kinesiology, health promotion and recreation at the University of North Texas.
“Parents typically serve as the primary role models of health behaviors for their children. Finding ways to increase parents’ physical activity could potentially influence the health trajectories these young children begin on, especially for those parents with multiple kids,” he said.
Other researchers include Ailton Coleman, James Madison University; Jamila Kwarteng, Medical College of Wisconsin; Ahondju Holmes, University of Oklahoma; Dulcie Kermah, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science; and Marino Bruce, University of Houston.
The implications of these findings are significant for interventions and policies aimed at promoting physical activity among parents with multiple children. The study highlights the need for family based physical activity interventions to expand their focus beyond parent-child dyads or triads. Including multiple children in these interventions may have a more significant impact on overall physical activity levels, according to the researchers.
“Workplace wellness programs have been shown as effective avenues for intervention,” said study co-author Marino Bruce, director of UH Population Health Collaboratories and associate dean of research at the Fertitta Family College of Medicine. “Parents often spend a majority of their time outside of parenting in the workplace, making it an ideal setting to promote physical activity. By offering incentives, feedback mechanisms and short bouts of physical activity throughout the workday, employers can support parents in achieving their activity goals and overcoming time-related barriers.”
Interestingly, the study also found that the impact of children on physical activity did not significantly differ between mothers and fathers, despite previous studies which suggested that mothers might be more affected by parental responsibilities. This discrepancy could be attributed to the differing measurements of physical activity used in the studies, with the current research relying on self-reported sport, fitness and recreational activities.
The researchers note that further research is needed to explore this relationship among parents with children of various ages. The study's findings underscore the importance of addressing the specific needs of parents with multiple children to promote a healthier and more active population. (ANI)
