Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
Department of Public Health, Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Aug 15;18(16):8618. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18168618.
Mexican-heritage children often achieve less physical activity (PA) than their counterparts and are at greater risk for associated comorbidities. Child PA is greatly influenced by their parents, yet researchers have rarely involved fathers in community health promotion. The purpose of this study is to examine Mexican-heritage fathers' perceptions of responsibilities and self-reported activities. recruited fathers ( = 300) from colonies on the Texas-Mexico border and administered Spanish-language surveys including paternal responsibilities, father PA, and PA co-participation. Two researchers coded responses. Open-ended items were coded and cross-tabulations between responsibilities and activities with children were examined. Fathers reported feeling monetary responsibilities most often. Fathers reported engaging in more activities with their sons than daughters; however, fathers engaged in very few activities specifically with their children. Feeling responsible for family expenses was associated with paternal PA co-participation with family and children. This study adds clarity to the role of Mexican-heritage fathers in child PA. Findings highlight potential areas for intervention including supporting fathers to take an active role in their children's PA.
墨西哥裔儿童的身体活动（PA）往往不如同龄人多，而且他们更容易出现相关的合并症。儿童的 PA 受到父母的极大影响，但研究人员很少让父亲参与社区健康促进。本研究旨在探讨墨西哥裔父亲对责任和自我报告活动的看法。研究人员从德克萨斯州-墨西哥边境的移民区招募了 300 名父亲，并对他们进行了西班牙语调查，包括父亲的责任、父亲的 PA 和 PA 共同参与。两名研究人员对回复进行了编码。对开放式问题进行了编码，并对与孩子的责任和活动之间的交叉表进行了检查。父亲们最常报告有经济责任。父亲们报告说与儿子一起参与的活动比女儿多；然而，父亲们很少专门与孩子一起参与活动。对家庭开支负责与父亲与家人和孩子一起参与 PA 有关。这项研究为墨西哥裔父亲在儿童 PA 中的角色提供了更清晰的认识。研究结果强调了干预的潜在领域，包括支持父亲在孩子的 PA 中发挥积极作用。
