Swedish parents' activities together with their children and children's health: a study of children
aged 2-17 years
Engelsk titel: Swedish parents' activities together with their children and children's health: a study of children
aged 2-17 years
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Författare:
Berntsson, Leeni T
;
Ringsberg, Karin C
Email: berntsson@privat.utfors.se
Språk: Eng
Antal referenser: 37
Dokumenttyp:
Artikel
UI-nummer: 15029340
Sammanfattning
Background: Nordic children’s health has declined. Studies show that parents’ engagement in
children’s leisure-time activities might provide beneficial health outcomes for children. Aim: The aim
of the present study was to examine the association between Swedish parents’ activities together
with their children, the parents’ experiences of time pressure and their children’s health. Methods:
Data of 1461 Swedish children aged 2-17 years old that were collected in the NordChild study of 2011
were used. We analyzed physical health, diseases and disabilities, psychosomatic health and well-
being, and the parents’ experiences of time pressure; and we calculated the associations between
parental activity together with the child and health indicators. Results: Activities that were
significantly and positively associated with children’s health at ages 2-17 years of age were: playing
and playing games; going to the cinema, theatre, and sporting events; reading books; playing
musical instruments/singing; sports activities; watching TV/video/DVD. Playing video games or
computer games, driving child to activities and going for walks were significantly and positively
associated at age groups 7-12 years and 13-17 years. Activities that were negatively associated with
health were: surfing/blogging on the Internet, going shopping and doing homework. Parents who were
not experiencing time pressures had a higher level of activity together with their children. The
parental experience of time pressure was associated with work time, with less homework activity and
more symptoms in children. Conclusions: The family and home are important settings for the
development of children’s health. We found eight parental activities together with their children that
promoted the children’s health. Parents’ working time and their time pressure experiences affected
their activities with their children. There is a need for an increased focus on parental activities that
are positively associated with children’s health.