The Moderating Effect of Maternal Modeling on Age-Related Decline in Children’s Physical Activity

Ophir Katzenelenbogen, Eran Bar-Kalifa, Genevieve Fridlund Dunton

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Maintaining adequate levels of physical activity is challenging for many children. Parents, particularly mothers, play a pivotal role in children’s engagement in health behaviors. This longitudinal study investigated the moderating role of maternal physical activity-related modeling behaviors on the typical age-related decline in children’s physical activity. A total of six waves of 1-week ecological momentary assessments were conducted with mother–child dyads (N = 202) of 8- to 12-year-old children. The results indicated that both maternal physical activity and physical activity in the presence of their child attenuated the typical decline in the children’s physical activity over time. These findings underscore the importance of maternal physical activity-related behaviors in shaping children’s physical activity habits over time. The discussion centers on the need to further explore the mechanisms underlying these moderation effects and outlines implications for interventions targeting children’s physical activity.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Family Psychology
DOIs
StateAccepted/In press - 1 Jan 2024

Keywords

  • ecological momentary assessment
  • health behavior change
  • maternal modeling
  • mother–child dyads
  • physical activity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Psychology

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