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Journal of Public Health Advance Access published online on June 8, 2009
Journal of Public Health, doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdp053
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© The Author 2009, Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved
The online version of this article has been published under an open access model. Users are entitled to use, reproduce, disseminate, or display the open access version of this article for non-commercial purposes provided that: the original authorship is properly and fully attributed; the Journal and Oxford University Press are attributed as the original place of publication with the correct citation details given; if an article is subsequently reproduced or disseminated not in its entirety but only in part or as a derivative work this must be clearly indicated. For commercial re-use, please contact journals.permissions@oupjournals.org

Licence to be active: parental concerns and 10–11-year-old children's ability to be independently physically active


Russell Jago, Senior Lecturer1
Janice L. Thompson, Professor of Public Health Nutrition1
Angie S. Page, Senior Lecturer1
Rowan Brockman, Research Assistant1
Kim Cartwright, Research Assistant2
Kenneth R. Fox, Professor of Exercise & Health Science1

1 Department of Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TP, UK
2 School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK


Address correspondence to Russell Jago, E-mail: russ.jago{at}bris.ac.uk


  Abstract

Background Physical activity independent of adult supervision is an important component of youth physical activity. This study examined parental attitudes to independent activity, factors that limit licence to be independently active and parental strategies to facilitate independent activity.

Methods In-depth phone interviews were conducted with 24 parents (4 males) of 10–11-year-old children recruited from six primary schools in Bristol.

Results Parents perceived that a lack of appropriate spaces in which to be active, safety, traffic, the proximity of friends and older children affected children's ability to be independently physically active. The final year of primary school was perceived as a period when children should be afforded increased licence. Parents managed physical activity licence by placing time limits on activity, restricting activity to close to home, only allowing activity in groups or under adult supervision.

Conclusions Strategies are needed to build children's licence to be independently active; this could be achieved by developing parental self-efficacy to allow children to be active and developing structures such as safe routes to parks and safer play areas. Future programmes could make use of traffic-calming programmes as catalysts for safe independent physical activity.

Keywords: environment, licence, parenting, physical activity, safety


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