Parental Involvement in Shaping College Students’ Attitudes towards Physical Activity; Implications for Policy

Abstract

Background: Parents’ role in the attitude of their adolescent children regarding physical activity has been studied widely but still little information is available in the context of shaping the attitude of their college students in Pakistan. Goal: The current study focused on the association between parent involvement and attitudes towards physical activity among college students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and wanted to look for gender differences. Method: Quantitative, Cross sectional, Multistage probability sampling was used with students of public sector colleges. 450 questionnaires were sent, with 422 valid responses received, as per Cochran's formula. A modified questionnaire that included 11 items for parents' involvement and 12 items for parents' attitudes toward physical activity was used to gather data. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, structural equation modeling and independent samples t-tests were carried out. Findings: There was a moderate positive correlation between parental involvement and the attitudes toward physical activity (r = .46, p < .01), and a significant direct positive relationship between parental involvement and attitudes toward physical activity (β = 0.22, p < .001). Parent involvement and attitudes were significantly higher for female students than male students (p < .05). Conclusion: The positive link between parental involvement and college students' attitudes towards physical activity underscores the importance of strategies that involve the family to support an active lifestyle in young adults.