Peer-reviewed article
Parents' Interpretation of Physical Activity Recommendations for Preschool Children: A Qualitative Study of Everyday Family Practices and Contextual Influences.
Catalina Altamirano, Paola Lorca, R Mauricio Barría ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This qualitative study explored how parents in southern Chile understand and apply physical activity guidelines for preschool children. Researchers interviewed 17 parents and found that parents interpret activity recommendations through play and family engagement rather than structured exercise, and are often unaware of formal guidelines. Parents' implementation of physical activity was strongly shaped by their home environment, available time, and housing characteristics. The study suggests that physical activity promotion for young children should be adapted to family contexts rather than presented as rigid prescriptions.
Key points
- Parents primarily conceptualize physical activity through play, coparticipation, and relational engagement rather than structured exercise
- Awareness of formal physical activity recommendations was limited among participating parents
- Caregiving practices were guided mainly by intuitive beliefs about child development rather than formal guidelines
- Environmental conditions, time constraints, and housing characteristics strongly influenced opportunities for movement
- Physical activity promotion strategies should emphasize family-based engagement and context-sensitive approaches
Limitations
This qualitative study captured parental perspectives in southern Chile and cannot be generalized to other regions or cultural contexts. The study describes parent practices and beliefs but does not measure children's actual physical activity levels or health outcomes.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Early childhood physical activity is a core component of 24-hour movement behaviors and plays a critical role in children's health and development. Although global guidelines provide recommendations for preschool-aged children, less is known about how parents interpret and translate these recommendations into everyday family practices. This study aimed to explore parents' perceptions and experiences regarding physical activity recommendations for preschool children and how these are implemented within daily family contexts. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive phenomenological study was conducted with 17 parents of preschool children recruited from early childhood education settings in southern Chile. Semistructured interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Colaizzi's method. Reporting followed the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). Data were organized into themes and categories reflecting parental experiences and contextual influences on physical activity promotion. RESULTS: Three interrelated themes were identified: (1) meanings attributed to physical activity recommendations, (2) parental role and practices, and (3) contextual facilitators and barriers. Parents primarily conceptualized physical activity through play, coparticipation, and relational engagement rather than structured exercise. Awareness of formal recommendations was limited, with caregiving practices guided mainly by intuitive beliefs about child development. Environmental conditions, time constraints, and housing characteristics strongly influenced opportunities for movement. CONCLUSIONS: Parents do not implement physical activity recommendations as prescriptive guidelines but reinterpret them through relational and contextual practices. Physical activity promotion strategies for preschool children should emphasize family-based engagement and context-sensitive physical activity promotion approaches to enhance the relevance and feasibility of guideline implementation.