Grant Details
Grant Number: |
5R03CA090185-02 Interpret this number |
Primary Investigator: |
Anderson, Cheryl |
Organization: |
Baylor College Of Medicine |
Project Title: |
Prevention Through Physical Activity-Parental Influence |
Fiscal Year: |
2002 |
Abstract
DESCRIPTION: (Applicant's Description)
Evidence is building to support physical activity as a modifiable lifestyle
factor in cancer prevention, both directly and indirectly through obesity
prevention. However, as stated in the NIH/NCI PA-99-163, "only a small
proportion of the U.S. population participates in regular physical activity.
Robust methods must be developed to examine and explain the determinants of
changes in these behaviors." Rates of sedentary behavior are rising in adults
and children, as are rates of obesity. Physical inactivity will likely
continue to increase over time without the development of successful physical
activity interventions. However, successful interventions against sedentary
behavior cannot be developed without a better understanding of the
determinants of physical activity behaviors. Our research and that of others
among adults has shown that how we perceive ourselves athletically and how
others perceive us are plausible determinants of whether we are physically
active. In this application, in an ethnically diverse sample, we propose to
construct and validate a psychometric scale that measures parental beliefs
about their 4th and 5th grade children and physical activity as determinants
of children's athletic identity and participation in physical activity.
Identity formation begins in childhood and is strongly influenced by parents,
who can encourage or discourage developing athletic identities. Since people
are resistant to change of ingrained identities that are firmly supported by
social structure, parental influence on a child's athletic identity could have
far reaching implications on how much physical activity they do.
Understanding how parents influence children's physical activity and the
ethnic/cultural differences which likely exist will provide a new mechanism
for change in future interventions to increase regular physical activity and
thereby reduce the risk of several activity-related cancers. Long-term
physical activity patterns that are sustained over many years likely reflect a
core aspect of the self: a relevant self-definition as a physically active
person that is initiated in childhood. Our project represents an innovative
approach to understanding and increasing regular physical activity in the
primary prevention of cancer.
Publications
None