Parental Support Behaviours for Child Physical Activity, Healthy Eating and Screen Time

Parents play a major role in supporting health behaviours and providing children opportunities for healthy, active living. Physical activity, healthy eating and reducing recreational screen time are important for promoting and maintaining healthy weights.

This page contains infographics presenting results from a survey of 3,206 parents living in Ontario, conducted between February and March 2015. All results are parent-reported.

Physical Activity

Did you know that when parents take part in physical activity with their kids, children are more likely to meet physical activity guidelines?

Healthy Eating

Did you know that when parents serve raw fruits and vegetables for snacks between meals, children are five times more likely to meet fruit and vegetable guidelines?

Screen Time

Did you know that when parents limit screen time, children are more likely to meet screen time guidelines?

How to cite the infographics

To cite an individual infographic: 

Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario), Pyper E, Harrington DW, Manson HM. < insert="" title="" of="" infographic="" />>. Toronto, ON: Queen’s Printer for Ontario; 2015. Available from: http://www.publichealthontario.ca/ParentalSupport

To cite the set of infographics: 

Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario), Pyper E, Harrington DW, Manson HM. Parental Support for Child Health. Toronto, ON: Queen’s Printer for Ontario; 2015. Available from: http://www.publichealthontario.ca/ParentalSupport

To reproduce or adapt resources from this page

Please complete the Request for Permission to Reproduce/Adapt PHO Materials Form, and send to communications@oahpp.ca.

References

Physical Activity

  1. Beets MW, Cardinal BJ, Alderman BL. Parental social support and the physical activity-related behaviors of youth: a review. Health Educ Behav. 2010;37(5):621-44.
  2. Janssen I, LeBlanc AG. Systematic review of the health benefits of physical activity and fitness in school-aged children and youth. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2010;7(40):1-16. Available from: http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/7/1/40
  3. Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario). Addressing obesity in children and youth: evidence to guide action for Ontario. Toronto, ON: Queen’s Printer for Ontario; 2013. Available from: www.publichealthontario.ca/sitecore/media library/Documents/addressing-child-obesity
  4. Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. Canadian physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines handbook [Internet]. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology; 2012. Available from: http://www.csep.ca/CMFiles/Guidelines/CSEP_Guidelines_Handbook.pdf                       
  5. Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention, Public Health Agency of Canada. Chronic Disease and Injury Indicator Framework: Quick Stats, 2015 Edition. Ottawa, Ontario: Public Health Agency of Canada; 2015. 
  6. Kimm SY, Glynn NW, Kriska AM, Barton BA, Kronsberg SS, Daniels SR, et al. Decline in physical activity in black girls and white girls during adolescence. N Engl J Med. 2002;347(10):709-15. Available from: http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa003277
  7. Cleland V, Crawford D, Baur LA, Hume C, Timperio A, Salmon J. A prospective examination of children's time spent outdoors, objectively measured physical activity and overweight. Int J Obes. 2008;32(11):1685-93.
  8. Brockman R, Jago R, Fox KR. Children’s active play: self-reported motivators, barriers and facilitators. BMC Public Health 2011;11:461. Available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/11/461                

Healthy Eating

  1. Beets MW, Cardinal BJ, Alderman BL. Parental social support and the physical activity-related behaviors of youth: a review. Health Educ Behav. 2010;37(5):621-44.
  2. Ness AR, Powles JW. Fruit and vegetables, and cardiovascular disease: a review. Int J Epidemiol. 1997;26(1):1-13. Available from: http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/26/1/1.long
  3. Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario). Addressing obesity in children and youth: evidence to guide action for Ontario. Toronto, ON: Queen’s Printer for Ontario; 2013. Available from: www.publichealthontario.ca/sitecore/media library/Documents/addressing-child-obesity
  4. Health Canada. Eating well with Canada's food guide [Internet]. Ottawa, ON: Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada; 2011. Available from: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php
  5. Birch L, Savage JS, Ventura A. Influences on the development of children's eating behaviours: from infancy to adolescence. Can J Diet Pract Res. 2007;68(1):s1-s56. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2678872/
  6. Patrick H, Nicklas TA. A review of family and social determinants of children’s eating patterns and diet quality. J Am Coll Nutr. 2005;24(2):83-92. 7. Coon KA, Goldberg J, Rogers BL, Tucker KL. Relationships between use of television during meals and children's food consumption patterns. Pediatrics. 2001;107(1):E7.

Screen Time

  1. Beets MW, Cardinal BJ, Alderman BL. Parental social support and the physical activity-related behaviors of youth: a review. Health Educ Behav. 2010;37(5):621-44.
  2. Tremblay MS, LeBlanc AG, Kho ME, Saunders TJ, Larouche R, Colley RC, et al. Systematic review of sedentary behaviour and health indicators in school-aged children and youth. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2011;8(1):98. Available from: http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/8/1/98
  3. Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario). Addressing obesity in children and youth: evidence to guide action for Ontario. Toronto, ON: Queen’s Printer for Ontario; 2013. Available from: www.publichealthontario.ca/sitecore/media library/Documents/addressing-child-obesity
  4. Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. Canadian physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines handbook [Internet]. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology; 2012. Available from: http://www.csep.ca/CMFiles/Guidelines/CSEP_Guidelines_Handbook.pdf
  5. Van Zutphen M, Bell AC, Kremer PJ, Swinburn BA. Association between the family environment and television viewing in Australian children. J Paediatr Child Health. 2007;43(6):458-63.
  6. Bleakley A, Jordan AB, Hennessy M. The relationship between parents' and children's television viewing. Pediatrics. 2013;132(2):e364-71.
  7. Shannon CS. Parents' messages about the role of extracurricular and unstructured leisure activities: adolescents' perceptions. J Leisure Res. 2006;38(3):398.
Updated 22 Oct 2019