Linking Parental Support and Parental Control to Physical Activity Participation in Youth: The Mediating Role of Self-efficacy and Enjoyment

Abstract

Identifying modifiable factors associated with physical activity (PA) is necessary to develop effective behaviour change interventions to promote PA. We examined the associations between parental support, parental control, youth’s self-efficacy, enjoyment, and PA participation in- and out-of-school. Data for our cross-sectional study were collected via self-report questionnaires from 602 youth (Mage=13.4 years; SD=.6) and analyzed using path analysis. We found that parental support and parental control indirectly influenced youth’s PA via self-efficacy and enjoyment. Specifically, parental control negatively influenced youth’s self-efficacy and enjoyment (β=-.12 to -.15), whereas parental support positively influenced youth’s self-efficacy and enjoyment (β=.18 to .31). Also, youth’s self-efficacy and enjoyment positively influenced PA performed in- and out-of-school (β=.12 to .26). Our findings suggest parental supportive and controlling behaviours affect youth’s self-efficacy and enjoyment, which in turn influence PA participation in different settings. Promoting parental support, while reducing parental control, may effectively increase youth’s participation in PA.