Parents’ View of Their Children’s Physical Activity in Five European Countries: An Exploratory Study

The aim of this paper was to explore parental views of children’s physical activity (knowledge, attitudes and perceived influences) among 5 Europe countries. A total of 350 parents from 5 countries (Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Slovakia, Turkey) participated in the study. Preschool-aged Children’s Physical Activity Questionnaire (Dwyer, Higgs, Hardy, & Baur, 2011) was modified and used to collect data. It consisted of 10 questions aimed to determine the physical activity levels of children and their families. Answers were analyzed by percentage and frequency. Results suggested the following recommendations for sport-based/fun-oriented physical activity programs for children between 1 and 6 years: (a) Activities for children should be planned to be performed together with their mothers; (b) Activities that children can do with their parents in times other than school should be planned; (c) Because most of the children are an only child in their family, activities to be done in common environments with peers should be planned; (d) Activity period should be comprised between 45 and 75-minute, maximum every second day; (e) Events should comprise activities that can be attended in places such as city parks or playgrounds; (f) Outdoor activities should be planned for those children who participate in sport activities, including structured sport programs. This study was supported by the EU project '590769-EPP-1-2017-1-TR-SPO-SSCP, Development of Preschool Physical Activity, Sports and Game Program for Strengthening of Grassroots Sports in EU.