From Parents to Children: The Intergenerational Transference of Parents' Sport Club Participation From Childhood to Adolescence: The 40-Year Young Finns Study.

Abstract

Background: Physical activity has been shown to transfer across generations, but more information is needed regarding the transference of different physical activity modes. This study examined (1) whether parents' sport club participation at the ages 9-18 was associated with their offspring's sports club participation at the same ages and (2) whether the associations were robust against adjusting for demographic, health-related, and socioeconomic covariates.

Methods: The participants (parents, G1, N = 309-539 and children, G2, N = 131-332) were from the ongoing, population-based Young Finns Study. Participants' sports club participation was assessed through self-reports during 1980-1992 (G1) and 2018/2020 (G2). The analyses were conducted using generalized estimation equations controlling for participants' sex, number of children's siblings, children's body mass index, health status, and living area as well as parents' educational status and income.

Results: Parents' sports club participation at the age of 9 was favorably associated with their children's participation at the age of 9 (odds ratio = 5.23; 95% CI, 1.59-17.17; Tjur R2 = .27) and 12 (odds ratio = 2.56; 95% CI, 1.06-6.18; Tjur R2 = .14) adjusting for the covariates.

Conclusions: Parents' sports club participation at the age of 9 was favorably associated with their offspring's sports club participation at childhood and early adolescence. Childhood might be one of the most essential periods to conduct physical activity interventions or motivational programs to support children's sports club participation.