Improved Perceptions of Parental Support for Physical Activity and Healthy Eating among Young Adolescents During COVID 19 pandemic

Abstract

Family routines play a key role in promoting child health behaviors. This study aims to 1) describe changes in children’s perceptions of physical activity (PA) and healthy eating family routines across three time points: pre-pandemic (2017-2020), early pandemic (2020), and mid-pandemic (2021); and 2) explore the role of pandemic-related economic stressors on these changes. Children’s perceptions of family routines were assessed using four scales adapted from the Comprehensive Home Environment Survey: PA-policies, Diet-policies, Diet-rules, and PA-Diet-role-model. Child age and sex were assessed at pre-pandemic, and household members’ employment loss and poverty levels were assessed during pandemic. Linear mixed models were used to assess changes and associated factors for each scale. Children (N=277) aged 8-13 y were enrolled pre-pandemic. Children’s perceptions of PA-policies and Diet-policies increased significantly from pre-pandemic to early-pandemic (b=0.9 and 2.4, respectively) and pre- to mid-pandemic (b=0.8 and 1.2, respectively). Diet-rules decreased significantly from pre- to early (b=-1.5) and pre- to mid-pandemic (b=-2.3), with no PA-Diet-role-model changes. Older children, compared to younger, had a faster decrease in Diet-policies from pre- to early pandemic. Females, compared to males, had a faster decrease in Diet-rules from pre- to mid-pandemic. Economic stressors were not associated with changes in perceived routines. Overall, children reported increased parental policies to support PA and healthy eating and decreased parental rules to regulate child eating behaviors during the pandemic. Future mixed methods research is needed to understand how changes in parental support on family routines relate to PA and healthy eating behaviors.