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A birth of inactivity? A review of physical activity and parenthood.

OBJECTIVE: To review the existing research on physical activity and parenthood in order to establish direction for future research. METHOD: Articles were limited to English peer-reviewed journals, published from 1989 to 2007. Major findings from 25 independent samples were summarized based on common...

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Published in:Preventive Medicine Vol. 46; no. 2; pp. 99 - 111
Main Authors: Bellows-Riecken KH, Rhodes RE
Format: research systematic review tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Academic Press Inc. Feb2008
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Feb2008
      vid: 46
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      pub: Academic Press Inc.
      place: Burlington, Massachusetts
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        10.1016/j.ypmed.2007.08.003
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        atl: A birth of inactivity? A review of physical activity and parenthood.
      aug:
        au:
          Bellows-Riecken KH
          Rhodes RE
        affil: School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, University of Victoria, Canada.
      sug:
        subj:
          Parenting
          Physical Activity
          Adult
          Aged
          Descriptive Statistics
          Employment Status
          Female
          Funding Source
          Male
          Marital Status
          Middle Age
          Odds Ratio
          P-Value
          Sex Factors
          Human
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Aged: 65+ years
          Middle Aged: 45-64 years
          Female
          Male
      ab: OBJECTIVE: To review the existing research on physical activity and parenthood in order to establish direction for future research. METHOD: Articles were limited to English peer-reviewed journals, published from 1989 to 2007. Major findings from 25 independent samples were summarized based on common subtopics of: physical activity of parents compared to non-parents, physical activity barriers, employment and marital status, number of children, and theory-based work applied to parents. RESULTS: Parenthood and physical activity involvement showed a negative relationship (meta-analytic d=0.41 to 0.48, correcting for sampling error) when compared to non-parents. Mothers were generally less active than fathers. Associations were found between specific barriers and parental physical activity, but the relationship between physical activity and marital/employment status as well as number/age of children was inconsistent. Finally, the use of theoretical models applied to understanding early family development and physical activity has been limited. CONCLUSIONS: Parents with dependent children are clearly more inactive than non-parents and the topic has received disproportionably scant research considering the size of the effect. Current research has largely been focused on mothers, and has relied heavily on cross-sectional designs and self-report measures. Future work should focus on longitudinal designs across family development, gender and role interactions, and include social ecological frameworks and objective physical activity measurement. Copyright © 2007 by Elsevier Inc.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        systematic review
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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