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Background: Children's activity level, including physical activity (PA) and screen sedentary time (SST), is influenced by environmental factors in which parents play a critical role. Different types of parenting styles may influence children's activity level. Inconsistent results were found on the association between parenting styles and PA, and few studies tested the association between parenting styles and SST. This study examined the association between parenting styles, PA and SST and the modifying effect of children's gender and maternal educational level on these associations.Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from parents of children aged 8-11 years old who completed a web-based non-standardized questionnaire (N = 4047). Since 85% of the questionnaires were filled in by mothers, parenting styles are mainly reported by mothers. Multiple linear regression techniques were used to assess the associations between parenting styles (authoritative, permissive, authoritarian and neglectful), and PA and SST (mean min/day). The modifying effect of children's gender and maternal educational level on these associations was explored. P values ≤.0125 were considered as statistically significant based on the Bonferroni correction for four primary analyses.Results: The neglectful parenting style was most widely used (35.3%), while the authoritarian style was least common (14.8%). No significant association was found between parenting styles and PA level. As regards SST, an authoritative parenting style was significantly associated with lower SST in boys while a neglectful parenting style was significantly associated with higher SST in both boys and girls. When the mother had a medium educational level, an authoritative parenting style was significantly associated with lower SST while neglectful parenting was significantly associated with higher SST.Conclusions: No association was found between parenting styles and PA. However, an authoritative parenting style was associated with a reduction in SST and a neglectful parenting style with an increase in SST, especially in boys and in children whose mother had a medium education level. Future studies of parenting practices are needed to gain more insight into the role of parents in children's PA and SST levels, as a basis for the development of interventions tailored to support parents in stimulating PA and reducing SST in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore whether primary school children of migrant and native Dutch origins differ regarding their sleep duration per night, a risk for overweight and obesity, and to determine to what degree differences in parenting styles contribute to these differences. Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional survey, including 1,943 children aged 8-9 years old and their primary caregivers, was performed. Data were collected from primary schools in cities and adjacent municipalities in The Netherlands: Eindhoven and Rotterdam. The outcome measure was mean sleep duration per night. The main independent variable was migrant background, based on the country of birth of the parents. A possible mediating variable was parenting style (rejecting, neglecting, permissive, authoritarian, authoritative). Age and sex of the child as well as parental socioeconomic status, as indicated by educational level, were added as confounders. Results: Dutch children have the highest sleep duration: more than 11 h (mean = 670.1; SD = 27.7). All migrant children show less than 11 h of sleep per night. Migrant children of non-Western origin, especially Turkish and Moroccan children, show the lowest sleep duration per night. Parenting styles do not contribute to these differences. Conclusion: Migrant background is associated with sleep duration. As children of migrant origin are, in general, at higher risk for overweight and obesity and sleep duration is regarded as a risk factor for overweight and obesity, further investigation of this association is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To compare the means of body mass index (BMI) and the prevalences of overweight and obesity between native Dutch and migrant primary school children and to assess to what degree differences between these children could be explained by socioeconomic position and BMI of the mother and the father. Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed among children at the age of 8-9 years old. Subjects were a total of 1,943 children and their primary caregiver. Outcome measures were BMIs and the prevalence of overweight, including obesity. Main independent variables were migrant background, based on country of birth of the parents, socioeconomic status, as indicated by educational level, and parental BMI. Other independent variables were the age and sex of the child. Results: Overall, our findings show that overweight and obesity are significantly more prevalent among migrant children of non-Western descent as compared to native children and children of Western descent. Conclusion: Parental BMI is an important predictor of a child's BMI. However, socioeconomic position is not. Because children of non-Western migrant origin are at higher risk for overweight and obesity, insight into differences in both physical activity and energy intake as well as how these behaviors relate to cultural contrasts in parental beliefs and practices is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]