Are parental physical activity and social support associated with adolescents' meeting physical activity recommendations?

Objective: To verify whether parental physical activity and social support are associated with adolescents meeting physical activity recommendations.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that selected 1,390 adolescents (59.6% girls) from Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. The IPAQ (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), QAFA (Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents), and ASAFA (Social Support for Physical Activity Practice in Adolescents) questionnaires were applied. Binary logistic regression was used to test the relationship among the study variables.

Results: For boys, having parents who "always attend" (OR = 1.96; 95%CI: 1.16-3.32) and having parents or legal guardians who meet the PA recommendations (OR = 2.78; 95%CI: 1.76-4.38) were associated with meeting the PA recommendations. Odds were greater after adjusting for socioeconomic status (OR = 3.47; 95%CI: 1.73-6.96) and schooling level (OR = 4.20; 95%CI: 1.96-9.02). For girls, those with parents or legal guardians who "sometimes encourage them" (OR = 0.61; 95%CI: 0.37-0.98) had lower odds of meeting PA recommendations. These odds were higher after adjusting for socioeconomic status (OR = 2.11; 95%CI: 1.36-3.29) and schooling level (OR = 4.30; 95%CI: 2.41-7.69).

Conclusions: Boys and girls were more likely to meet PA recommendations daily by having parents who meet PA recommendations than by receiving parental social support. These results could help establish future interventions aimed at modifying behaviors related to PA in adolescents.