February 9, 2025, 4:04 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Regular exercise with the family can mean much more than just physical fitness for young people. A new study shows that joint physical activities with parents can influence sports behavior and health. FITBOOK fitness editor Janine Riedle takes a closer look at the research.
Childhood and adolescence are formative phases in which the foundations for lifelong health are laid. However, around one in seven young people worldwide suffers from mental health problems such as anxiety disorders or depression. This has a negative impact on school performance, social relationships, and, in severe cases, life itself. While physical activity has been shown to improve mental health, only 81% of young people worldwide achieve the 60 minutes of daily physical activity recommended by the WHO..1,2 At the same time, many young people spend more time in front of screens than recommended. Taken together, this can have a major impact on well-being. A recent study examined the influence of physically active parents on the physical activity, screen behavior, and mental health of adolescents in Canada.
Overview of the Study
Background of the Study
The study aimed to investigate the impact of joint family activity, adherence to physical activity recommendations, and screen time on the mental health of adolescents. The physical activity recommendation was defined as at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day. In terms of screen time, a maximum of two hours of leisure screen time per day was defined as a “healthy framework.” Previous research has shown that parents, as role models or supporters, can have a positive influence on their children’s activity. However, there were few studies that specifically analyzed the active involvement of parents and its effects on the well-being and behavior of adolescents. The aim of the study was, therefore, to close this knowledge gap.
Survey of Physical Activity
For their study, the scientists used data from the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth cross-sectional study, which analyzed data from children and adolescents between the ages of one and 17. However, since only young people between the ages of 12 and 17 were asked how often they play sports with their parents, the researchers of the current study focused on this target group..3 This only included participants who did not live on reserves or Indigenous settlements, with foster families, or in children’s homes. The young people were able to respond to the question of how often they are physically active with their parents with the following answer options:
- Daily
- Weekly
- Monthly
- A few times a year
- Never
The researchers also recorded average daily physical activity and screen time, as well as mental health indicators, including perceived life satisfaction, stress levels, and symptoms of anxiety or depression. The data was analyzed by taking into account age, gender, and socioeconomic differences and using statistical weighting to ensure representative results for Canada. The total sample size was 8213 adolescents.
Physically Active Parents Influence Adolescents
The results show a clear link between the frequency of joint family activities and the health parameters of adolescents. Adolescents who were regularly active with their families had:
- More exercise: Only 11.4 percent of adolescents met physical activity goals. However, this proportion was significantly higher among families who were frequently active together.
- Less screen time: 56.3 percent of teens met the recommended screen time, with compliance increasing as family activity increased.
- Better mental health: Adolescents who were frequently active with their family were more likely to report high life satisfaction (45.4 percent), low stress (79.4 percent), and fewer symptoms of anxiety (69.3 percent) or depression (84.7 percent).
The study also found gender-specific differences: boys were more likely to meet the exercise goals, while girls benefited more from reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Involving the Family in Exercise Programs
The results underline the importance of involving families in physical activity programs. Family activities not only appear to increase the physical activity of adolescents but also promote their mental health. The active participation of parents can strengthen young people’s self-confidence, deepen social bonds, and reduce stress. In addition, playing sports together offers a meaningful alternative to screen time and promotes healthy routines. The gender-specific differences show that programs should be tailored specifically to the different needs of boys and girls.
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Classification of the Study
With its large sample size, the study shows that parents who are active in sports can certainly influence their younger and adolescent children. However, the data only comes from children and adolescents from Canada – the geographical restriction could mean that the results may not be representative of other countries. As it is also only a survey based on self-reporting, the data could possibly be biased. Also, the pure survey character does not make the causal relationships clear. Another point of criticism is that factors such as the mental health of parents or family structures could influence the behavior of young people; however, this was not taken into account in the analysis.