Using mixed methods to understand women's parenting practices related to their child's outdoor play and physical activity among families living in diverse neighborhood environments

Authors: KEPPER, MAURA - Washington University; STAIANO, AMANDA - Pennington Biomedical Research Center; KATZMARZYK, PETER - Pennington Biomedical Research Center; REIS, RODRIGO - Washington University; EYLER, AMY - Washington University; GRIFFITH, DEREK - Vanderbilt University; KENDALL, MICHELLE - Louisiana State University Medical Center; ELBANNA, BASANT - Washington University; DENSTEL, KARA - Pennington Biomedical Research Center; BROYLES, STEPHANIE - Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Submitted to: Health and Place
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/27/2020
Publication Date: 2/5/2020
Citation: Kepper, M.M., Staiano, A.E., Katzmarzyk, P.T., Reis, R.S., Eyler, A.A., Griffith, D.M., Kendall, M.L., Elbanna, B., Denstel, K.D., Broyles, S.T. 2020. Using mixed methods to understand women's parenting practices related to their child's outdoor play and physical activity among families living in diverse neighborhood environments. Health and Place. 62:102292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102292.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102292

Interpretive Summary: Being physically active and playing outdoors is essential for adolescent development as these activities enable cognitive, physical, emotional and motor learning, as well as elicit benefits to prevent numerous chronic diseases such as obesity. Yet, adolescents worldwide are not meeting physical activity guidelines. This may be due in part to today’s adolescents spending less time outdoors compared to previous generations. Parenting practices were examined by neighborhood disadvantage and child’s sex in quantitative and qualitative samples. Parents in high disadvantage neighborhoods and of female adolescents imposed more restrictions on outdoor play. Restrictive parenting practices were negatively associated with outdoor play, but not physical activity. We provided evidence that parental restrictions are impacting adolescents' outdoor play across neighborhoods with varying levels of disadvantage. Parents have requirements for supervision and restrictions on the location and time of play that vary depending on whether children are playing alone or with siblings/peers or the type of activity (e.g., bicycling, walking, swimming). A further understanding of whether parentings practices are more important for youth living in disadvantaged neighborhoods and females is necessary to tailor intervention efforts.

Technical Abstract: A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used to understand parenting practices for outdoor play, their influence on adolescent's physical activity and outdoor play and the role of the neighborhood and child's sex. Adolescents (n=263) and their parents completed questionnaires and wore accelerometers. Parents (n=30) participated in in-depth interviews. Parenting practices were examined by neighborhood disadvantage and child's sex in quantitative (Chi-square and T-tests) and qualitative (comparative thematic analysis) samples. Multi-level linear mixed models examined the associations between parenting practices and two adolescent outcomes: physical activity and outdoor play. Parents in high disadvantage neighborhoods and of female adolescents imposed more restrictions on outdoor play. Restrictive parenting practices were negatively associated with outdoor play, but not physical activity. Policy and environment change that improves neighborhood conditions may be necessary to reduce parents' fear and lessen restrictions on outdoor play.