The unseen power of parents: the influence of parent physical activity behaviors and values on preschool children’s PA, sleep, and screentime (808.2)

This study examined parents’ (n=47) role modeling of PA, importance placed on PA, encouragement of child PA, screentime and sleep hours/day, and PA level and their preschool children’s screentime and sleep hours/day and PA level. Parents were 70% white and 66% had college degrees. Parents had neutral role modeling and positive PA importance and encouragement scores (i.e., 2.99 + 0.73SD, 3.94 + 0.65SD, 4.25 + 0.56SD, respectively, on a 5‐point scale). They had 2.86 + 2.36SD and 6.98 + 0.89SD screentime and sleep hours/day, and low to moderate PA level. Children got 3.08 + 2.92SD and 9.67 + 1.33SD screentime and sleep hours/day, and had moderate to high PA levels. Child PA level was significantly (p<.05) positively correlated with child sleep hours but was not correlated with any parental measure. Parent sleep was inversely correlated with child screentime hours, suggesting that parents who get less sleep permit screentime more. Child screentime hours and parent BMI were positively correlated with parent screentime. Parent encouragement of and importance placed on PA was associated with their own PA level. Parent sleep, screentime, and PA importance/encouragement are related to child obesity risk factors. Grant Funding Source : Supported by USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Grant Number 2011‐68001‐30170