When gender matters: parental characteristics associated with children’s compliance with 24-hour movement behavior guidelines – the Czech FAMIPASS study

Abstract

Background: Family is important for the support and promotion of healthy movement behaviors of children. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify parental characteristics that are associated with children’s adherence to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on 24-hour movement behavior (24hMB), based on accelerometer data from the daily lives of both parents and their families. Methods: The 24-hour movement behavior (24hMB) of 217 family triads was continuously monitored over a 7-day period using ActiGraph accelerometers placed on the non-dominant wrist of each participant as part of the Czech FAMIPASS study. Children’s compliance with the WHO 24hMB guidelines (sleep, sedentary behavior, physical activity) was analyzed using backward logistic regression analysis separately for the daughter-mother-father and son-mother-father models. Results: Without significant gender differences, 25.2%DAUGHTERS and 26.7%SONS (or 71.7%DAUGHTERS and 78.1%SONS) met all 3 (or a combination of ≥ 2) 24hMB guidelines, although the contributions of mothers and fathers differed. For daughters only, fathers’ overweight/obesity significantly reduced the chances of achieving the recommended amount of sedentary behavior/a combination of ≥ 2 24hMB guidelines (p = 0.03/0.003). Mother’s overweight/obesity significantly reduced the odds ratio of meeting the recommended amount of sedentary behavior for both daughters/sons (p = 0.04/0.002), achieving the recommended amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in daughters (p = 0.03), and meeting a combination of ≥ 2 24hMB guidelines in sons (p = 0.03). Maternal university education significantly contributed to achieving the recommended sedentary behavior in both daughters/sons (p = 0.03/0.02) and to fulfilling a combination of ≥ 2 24hMB guidelines in daughters (p = 0.04). Conclusions: Mothers’ non-excessive body weight, higher level of education and meeting ≥ 2 WHO 24hMB recommendations, compared with those of fathers, are significantly associated with children’s adherence to the WHO 24hMB guidelines in two-parent households. It suggests that mothers play an important role in shaping the daily 24hMB that supports their children’s health.