SAN FRANCISCO – Families who want to help their adolescents become physically active should focus on logistical assistance more than emotional support, a study of 1,422 sixth graders has shown.
Emotional support from peers was associated with an increased likelihood of moderate to vigorous physical activity, but not emotional support from families. Families did make a difference, however, by providing instrumental support such as transportation and sports equipment, E. Rebekah Siceloff, Ph.D., and her associates reported at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine.
Dr. E. Rebekah Siceloff
They conducted a secondary analysis of data on 1,422 sixth graders from 24 middle schools in the Activity by Choice Today trial, which primarily studied a separate intervention aimed at increasing physical activity in predominantly racial minority students from low socioeconomic status families.
The current analysis looked at what kinds of social support mattered for increasing physical activity. At baseline, moderate to vigorous physical activity was significantly associated with peer emotional support and with family instrumental support. High levels of family emotional support did not translate into higher activity levels at baseline.
Six months later, only family instrumental support predicted an increase in moderate to vigorous physical activity over time. Both the baseline family instrumental support and increases in family instrumental support during those 6 months were associated with increased moderate to vigorous physical activity, said Dr. Siceloff, a postdoctoral fellow in the psychology department at the University of South Carolina, Columbia.
"Parents may be especially crucial and families may be especially crucial for getting [adolescents] to places and providing opportunities to be physically active," she said. The findings are consistent with some previous qualitative research showing that instrumental support for physical activity may be especially important for underserved youths. Adolescents often perceive emotional support to be controlling, not supportive, she said.
Her study won a citation for the best of her session at the meeting.
The youths in the study had a mean age of 11 years. Fifty-four percent were girls, 73% were African American, and 72% qualified for free or reduced-cost lunches. The mean body mass index was 23 kg/m2; 51% of the participants were in the 85th percentile for being overweight or obese.
"It’s really imperative that we consider the type of family social support," she said. "It’s the instrumental support that’s really important," particularly in populations of underserved youths. When families with few resources are unable to provide the instrumental support that adolescents need to be active, increased community support is essential, she added.
Families may find it hard to provide instrumental support because they lack money, time, a car or good public transportation, and equipment for physical activity, and because neighborhood crime makes the streets unsafe.
The study used six-item scales to assess family and peer emotional support and a four-item scale to assess family instrumental support. Adolescent physical activity was assessed using accelerometers.
The investigators previously reported that the main intervention in the study – a 17-week after-school program – increased activity during the program but not outside of it (Health Psychol. 2011;30:463-71).
Dr. Siceloff reported having no relevant financial disclosures.
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