The relation of parental income with the physical activity of children: the role of the social support, the neighborhood and stress factors in the family.

Abstract

Background: Various studies describe that children from low income-families participate less in sports and playing less outside than children in high-income families. This study examined the relation of the income of parents on the physical activity of their children and how do physical environment, social support from parents and stress factors in the family play a role. Methods: Data were obtained by a general survey from the GGD the Children Health Monitor 0-11. The GGD did a purposive sample amongst the parents (from children age 0-11) in Noord-Brabant, the Netherlands (N=13.559). Logistics regression analyses assessed associations between income, sports participation and outdoor play, social support, neighborhood, and stress factors in the family. Results: Children from low-income families were more likely to do low levels of sports participation (OR 3.43 (95% Cl, 3.08-3.82) or low levels of outdoor play (OR 1.89 (1.63-2.20) than children from high-income families. The association between income and sports strengthens when social support were included in de model and attenuated when neighborhood or stress factors in the family was included in the model. The association between income and outdoor play attenuated when social support, neighborhood or stress in the family were included in the model. Conclusions: Social support, sports facilities in the neighborhood, death of a family member, and money problems contributed to the explanation of income differences in low levels of sports participation. Social support, activities in the neighborhood, death of a family member, and mental health problems contributed to the explanation of income differences in low levels of outdoor play. Interventions and policies should focus on all this factors simultaneously to yield a maximal reduction of children from low-income families in sports participations and outdoor play.