Four of the studies highlight parental perceptions of child
characteristics that parents feel impact involvement in
physical activity. Dwyer, Needham, Simpson, and Heeney
(2008) identified intrapersonal characteristics reported by
parents to hinder their preschoolers' physical activity levels,
such as personality traits like shyness and anxiety. In
addition, preference to participate in less active play, lack of
interest or lack of ability to follow the rules of organized
physical play activities, or a disability such as a speech
problem were cited. Parents also reported that preschoolers
who experienced feelings of fatigue after being at a childcare
center all day were less likely to be active in the evening
(Dwyer et al., 2008).
Inaccurate parental perceptions of their child's weight and
health also may serve as a barrier to the promotion of
sufficient physical activity. Rich et al. (2005) found that 50%
of parental caregivers were not concerned about their child's
weight and perceived their preschooler to be healthy
although they exceeded the 95th percentile for height and
weight. Twenty-one percent of those who were not
concerned with their child's weight mentioned that other
people, such as a health care professional, were concerned
(Rich et al., 2005). Of all parents in this study, only 38%
were concerned about their child's physical activity.
On the other hand, some parents perceived their
preschooler's personality traits, physical activity preferences,
and health to be intrapersonal facilitators of their physical
activity levels. Parents of children who enjoyed physical
activity felt that it was easy to facilitate regular physical
activity (Irwin, He, Bouck, Tucker, & Pollett, 2005). Dwyer
et al. (2008) reported that parents felt children who were
healthy were more physically active. This contention was
supported by Maher et al. (2008), finding that children who
were perceived by their parents as more active than their age
mate peers were significantly less likely to be obese.