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Purpose: Parent-focused interventions (PFIs) are a promising method for supporting parents and promoting children's well-being. Few PFIs in the USA, however, include physical health promotion content and are universal programs. The purpose of this paper is to describe a universal health-promoting PFI for parents of elementary school-aged children and demonstrate proof of concept. Design/methodology/approach: The program emphasizes positive parenting practices, stress management skills and physical health promotion strategies and recommendations, and is part of a larger initiative that includes a continuum of universal, developmentally appropriate, health-promoting PFIs for civilian and military parents. The program was implemented at two community sites in rural Pennsylvania with 20 civilian parents completing pretests and posttests. Study measures assessed parenting, stress and stress management and physical health promotion related outcomes. Findings: Parents reported decreases in suboptimal discipline and feeding practices, stress and child internalizing behavior. They also reported increases in their sense of control in managing child behavior, coping socialization, child's outdoor playtime and health recommendations met. Research limitations/implications: While these preliminary findings may not be generalizable, they serve as proof of concept, which suggests that more rigorous research on the program is warranted. Practical implications: Implementing a universal, health-promoting PFI within the USA is viable and has the potential to impact multiple short-term outcomes. Originality/value: Parents are among their child's earliest and most influential educators, and this study lends further support to their role as health educators. Given the significant public health benefits of holistically promoting child health, the time has come for universal PFIs to begin including physical health promotion content.

This article describes the adaptation of a parent-focused evidence-based childhood obesity intervention program for implementation by county-based Extension educators in coordination with school district personnel in rural Pennsylvania. The Lifestyle Positive Parenting Program was designed and evaluated in Australia in clinical settings. Several minor and more serious adaptations, such as featured recipes and content of follow-up telephone calls, were made so that the program would be more appropriate for and appealing to target families. Conceptual issues regarding the adaptation of evidence-based programs are reviewed.

An Extension-implemented parent-focused childhood obesity intervention designed to improve family functioning around healthful eating and exercise was evaluated. Thirty-six parents and their children, aged 5-13, were randomized to a 12-week intervention condition or control condition. Intervention parents, compared to control group parents, felt more confident in promoting children's healthful eating and exercise, worried less about their children's weight, and engaged in fewer counterproductive parenting behaviors. The children of these parents, as compared to children of control group parents, lost weight and displayed better social-emotional functioning. These results highlight Extension's important role in disseminating evidence-based childhood obesity interventions.

The purpose of this study was to examine RT3 accelerometer activity counts and activity energy expenditure of 36 pregnant women at 20 and 32 weeks' gestation during treadmill walking and free-living conditions. During treadmill walking, oxygen consumption was collected, and activity energy expenditure was estimated for a 30-min walk at a self-selected walking pace. The number of min it would take a pregnant woman to meet exercise recommendations (i.e., kcal/week) were calculated. Preliminary activity count cut points at a self-selected walking pace were then estimated and applied in interpreting free-living data. For the treadmill walking condition, the self-selected walking pace significantly decreased from 20 to 32 weeks' gestation. Additionally, few women (less than 12% each day) met physical activity guidelines in the free-living condition. Encouraging pregnant women to walk for 30-40 min per day at a self-selected walking pace may be an appropriate public health recommendation. (Contains 2 tables.)

Abstract Background Parents play an important role in the development of children's health behaviors, but less is known about the role of parental encouragement for physical activity (PA) on youth PA behavior and body image satisfaction. The purposes of this study were to: (1) longitudinally assess whether adolescent PA at age 15 mediates the effect of perceived parental encouragement for PA at age 15 for predicting adolescent body satisfaction at age 16, while controlling for body mass index (BMI), and (2) examine the extent to which adolescent sex moderates this association. Methods Participants were 379 boys and girls assessed at 15 and 16 years of age, who completed surveys as part of a larger longitudinal study in their health/physical education classes in a school district in Central Pennsylvania. Participants completed measures of their perception of parental encouragement for PA, PA behavior, body satisfaction, and height and weight to calculate BMI at age 15 and 16 (i.e., 10th and 11th grades). Pearson correlations were used to examine the association among the study variables and hierarchical regression analyses were used to predict body satisfaction at age 16. Results Perceived encouragement for PA from fathers, but not mothers, at age 15, was significantly associated with adolescent PA at age 15 and body satisfaction scores at age 16. Adolescents reporting higher PA behavior and perceived encouragement for PA from fathers at age 15 had higher body satisfaction scores at age 16. Moreover, adolescent PA at age 15 mediated the association between perceived fathers' encouragement for PA at age 15 and adolescent body satisfaction at age 16, when controlling for BMI. Examining the moderating effect of adolescent sex on this association revealed that adolescent PA no longer mediated the association between perceived encouragement for PA from fathers and adolescent body satisfaction, and sex moderated this association. Discussion These findings suggest that, regardless of adolescent BMI, fathers may play an instrumental role in adolescents' body image satisfaction by positively influencing PA behavior. However, the influence of perceived encouragement for PA from fathers on adolescent body satisfaction and PA behavior may differ for boys and girls.

Background: Scant research has examined the determinants of primary exercise dependence symptoms in youth. Study purposes were to examine sex differences across leisure-time exercise behavior, motivation, and primary exercise dependence symptoms in youth and the extent to which exercise behavior and motivation predicted exercise dependence within the Self-Determination Theory framework. Methods: Adolescents (N = 805; mean age = 15 years; 46% girls) completed measures of exercise behavior, motivation, and exercise dependence in health/PE classes. Results: One-way ANOVA revealed boys scored higher than girls on leisure-time exercise behavior, exercise dependence symptoms, and most of the exercise motivation subscales. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated a) sex, exercise behavior, motivation, and their interaction terms explained 39% of the variance in primary exercise dependence; b) Integrated Regulation and Introjected Regulation were important determinants of exercise dependence; and c) sex moderated the contributions of External Regulation for predicting exercise dependence such that boys in the high and low external regulation groups had higher symptoms than girls in the high and low external regulation groups. Conclusions: These preliminary findings support the controlled dimensions of Integrated Regulation (boys, girls), Introjected Regulation (boys, girls), and External Regulation (boys only) are important determinants of primary exercise dependence symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To effectively promote physical activity (PA) and quantify the effects of PA interventions for pregnant women, PA measurement during pregnancy needs improvement. The purpose of this study was to assess PA monitor output during a controlled, treadmill walking protocol among pregnant women at 20- and 32-weeks gestation. Methods: Women (N = 43) wore an Actigraph accelerometer, NL1000, and Yamax pedometer during a 20-minute treadmill walking test [5-minute periods at 4 different speeds (54, 67, 80, and 94 m·min-1)] at 20- and 32-weeks gestation. Results: Repeated-measures ANOVAs indicated that Actigraph total counts/minute and minutes of moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA), NL1000 steps and minutes MVPA, and Yamax steps decreased from 20- to 32-weeks gestation (P ≤ .05), while body girth circumference and activity monitor tilt increased (P ≤ .05). Repeated measures ANCOVAs, controlling for changes in body girth and monitor tilt, yielded no significant differences in any outcome measures from 20- to 32-weeks gestation. Conclusions: Preliminary results suggest physical changes during pregnancy impact activity monitor output in controlled settings. Accurately measuring and statistically controlling for changes in body girth at monitor placement site and monitor tilt may improve the accuracy of activity monitors for use with pregnant populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research examining women's pregnancy physical activity (PA) behaviors with objective measures is scant. Therefore, 2 studies were conducted to determine the feasibility of pregnant women wearing pedometers and to examine women's self-reported and objectively measured PA behaviors. Methods:Participants were pregnant women (Study 1 N= 50, Study 2 N = 30) who completed the Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ) and wore a Yamax pedometer for 3 consecutive days during free living at 20- and 32-weeks gestation. Results: As predicted in Study 1, we found (a) 100% participant agreement in wearing the pedometer and (b) LTEQ min and pedometer-determined indices classified 67%to 86% of the participants as insufficiently active at 20-weeks gestation. In Study 2, as hypothesized, (a) mean steps/d, LTEQ total,strenuous, and mild min of PA were positively associated at 20- and 32-weeks gestation; (b)mean steps/d and LTEQ strenuous min significantly declined from 20- to 32-weeks gestation;and (c) more women were classified as sedentary and low active at 32-weeks (73%)compared with 20-weeks gestation (50%).Conclusions: These findings are consistent with previous epidemiological evidence documenting the decline in women's PA behaviors across the trimesters. They also illustrate that pedometer-determined indices might be a useful tool facilitating PA adoption and maintenance during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited research has examined the effect of perceived parental encouragement on youth physical activity (PA) and psychosocial determinants. The study purpose was to longitudinally examine the mediating influence of adolescent PA on the association between parental encouragement for PA at time 1 (M age = 15 years) and adolescent body satisfaction at time 2 (M age = 16 years) with BMI as a covariate. We hypothesized that perceived fathers' and mothers' encouragement for PA would be significantly associated with adolescents' PA and body satisfaction, and that adolescent PA would explain the association between parental encouragement for PA and adolescent body satisfaction. Adolescents (n = 397) completed self-reported measures of leisure-time PA, height and weight, body satisfaction, and perceived parental encouragement for PA during their health and PE classes. Fathers' encouragement for PA, but not mothers', and adolescent PA were significantly associated with adolescent body satisfaction scores 1 year later. Thus, the hierarchical regression analysis predicting adolescent body satisfaction was conducted with only perceived fathers' encouragement for PA. We found that adolescents reporting higher encouragement for PA from fathers (r = .11) and more PA (r = .14) had higher body satisfaction scores. A 4-step regression analysis to test mediation (Baron & Kenney, 1986) revealed that adolescent PA (β = .14) significantly mediated the association between perceived fathers' encouragement for PA and adolescent body satisfaction, when controlling for BMI (z = 2.02, p < .05). These preliminary findings reveal that, regardless of BMI, fathers' encouragement for PA predicted body satisfaction 1 year later, but only resulting from the influence on PA behavior. Interestingly, this model is in contrast to previous research supporting the influence of mothers as the primary encouragers for PA. Future research is needed to test the assumption that fathers' encouragement for PA during adolescence may play a significant role in positively influencing PA behavior and body satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Extension-implemented parent-focused childhood obesity intervention designed to improve family functioning around healthful eating and exercise was evaluated. Thirty-six parents and their children, aged 5-13, were randomized to a 12-week intervention condition or control condition. Intervention parents, compared to control group parents, felt more confident in promoting children's healthful eating and exercise, worried less about their children's weight, and engaged in fewer counterproductive parenting behaviors. The children of these parents, as compared to children of control group parents, lost weight and displayed better social-emotional functioning. These results highlight Extension's important role in disseminating evidence-based childhood obesity interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the adaptation of a parent-focused evidence-based childhood obesity intervention program for implementation by county-based Extension educators in coordination with school district personnel in rural Pennsylvania. The Lifestyle Positive Parenting Program was designed and evaluated in Australia in clinical settings. Several minor and more serious adaptations, such as featured recipes and content of follow-up telephone calls, were made so that the program would be more appropriate for and appealing to target families. Conceptual issues regarding the adaptation of evidence-based programs are reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The determinants of pregnant women's exercise motivation and behavior are insufficiently understood. The study purpose was to examine the moderating influence of parental status on pregnant women's exercise motivation and behavior using the framework of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Based on previous research (Grace et al., 2006), we hypothesized that parental status would moderate the contributions of the TPB constructs for predicting exercise intention and behavior. Participants were 127 pregnant women (M age = 30.13; 87% Caucasian) classified as nulliparous (first-time mother; 41%) or multiparous (non-first-time mother; 59%) who prospectively completed self-reported measures of the TPB constructs in their first and second trimesters. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that intention (β = .62) and PBC (β = .14) explained 56% of the variance in exercise behavior; however, there was no significant moderating influence of parental status when the interaction terms were entered into the model. In partial support of our hypothesis, the model of attitude (β = .28), subjective norm (β = .24), and PBC (β = .43) explained 67% of the variance in exercise intention. When the interaction terms for parental status were entered into the model, an additional 3% of the variance was explained by attitude x parental status (β = .89) and PBC x parental status (β = .65). These preliminary findings suggest the contributions of the TPB for predicting intention are moderated by parental status such that attitude was the strongest determinant of intention for the nulliparous group and PBC was the strongest determinant of intention for the multiparous group. Researchers aiming to increase first-time mothers' exercise motivation may want to target strategies for promoting a positive attitude toward exercise, whereas the focus for non-first-time mothers should be on increasing their perceived control for exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Evaluate effects of a theoretically-based, semi-intensive (Face-to-Face; F2F) exercise intervention and minimum-contact (Home) exercise intervention to the standard care (Control) on exercise, its motivational determinants, blood glucose levels, and insulin use of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)., Design: Randomized control trial with two intervention arms and control (standard care)., Method: Participants ( N =65) were randomized to a Control (standard prenatal care/GDM dietary counseling), Home (standard care + phone education/support + home exercise), or F2F (standard care + on-site education/support + guided exercise with instructor on 2 days/week) group from ~20 weeks gestation to delivery. Assessments of exercise and motivational determinants were obtained at baseline (20-weeks gestation) and follow-up (32-weeks gestation). Blood glucose levels (fasting/postprandial mg/dL) and insulin use were extrapolated from medical records., Results: At the 32-week follow-up, the F2F group had significantly higher exercise min, pedometer steps/day, and motivational determinants (attitude, subjective norm, perceived control, intention) than controls ( p 's < .05) and significantly higher exercise min and subjective norm than the Home group ( p 's < .05); these effect sizes were medium-large (η 2 = .11-.23). There was a medium effect (η 2 = .13) on postprandial blood glucose at 36-weeks gestation with the F2F group having lower values than controls. Although not significant, the F2F group started insulin later (33 weeks gestation) than the Home (27 weeks) and Control (31 weeks) groups., Conclusion: A theoretically-based, F2F exercise intervention has multiple health benefits and may be the necessary approach for promoting exercise motivation and behavior among GDM women., Competing Interests: Disclosure There is no conflict of interest for any of the authors.

Background: Scant research has examined the determinants of primary exercise dependence symptoms in youth. Study purposes were to examine sex differences across leisure-time exercise behavior, motivation, and primary exercise dependence symptoms in youth and the extent to which exercise behavior and motivation predicted exercise dependence within the Self-Determination Theory framework., Methods: Adolescents (N = 805; mean age = 15 years; 46% girls) completed measures of exercise behavior, motivation, and exercise dependence in health/PE classes., Results: One-way ANOVA revealed boys scored higher than girls on leisure-time exercise behavior, exercise dependence symptoms, and most of the exercise motivation subscales. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated a) sex, exercise behavior, motivation, and their interaction terms explained 39% of the variance in primary exercise dependence; b) Integrated Regulation and Introjected Regulation were important determinants of exercise dependence; and c) sex moderated the contributions of External Regulation for predicting exercise dependence such that boys in the high and low external regulation groups had higher symptoms than girls in the high and low external regulation groups., Conclusions: These preliminary findings support the controlled dimensions of Integrated Regulation (boys, girls), Introjected Regulation (boys, girls), and External Regulation (boys only) are important determinants of primary exercise dependence symptoms.

Purpose: Limited research has examined the determinants of eating attitudes among both adolescent boys and girls. The aims of this study were to examine the extent to which depressive symptoms, body satisfaction, and physical activity (PA) predict eating attitudes in adolescent boys and girls, and to determine the moderating influences of sex and body mass index (BMI)., Methods: The participants (N = 646 adolescent boys and girls; mean age 14.28 years; 49% boys) completed self-reported measures of their depressive symptoms, body satisfaction, leisure-time PA, and eating attitudes during their high school health and physical education classes., Results: Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that: (1) BMI, depressive symptoms, body satisfaction, PA, and their interaction terms explained 14% and 17% of the variance in eating attitudes for boys and girls, respectively; (2) BMI moderated the contributions of body satisfaction and PA for predicting eating attitudes such that overweight boys scored lower on body satisfaction and higher on PA than normal-weight boys; and (3) BMI did not moderate the contributions of any of the psychobehavioral constructs for predicting eating attitudes among girls., Conclusions: Our findings illustrate that eating attitudes are determined differently for boys and girls, and the findings demonstrate the need for sex-specific interventions to promote healthy eating attitudes and behaviors during adolescence.