Associations Between Parental Physical Activity and Preschool Children’s Physical Activity and Social Behavior: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Objectives: This study examined the association between parental physical activity and preschool children’s physical activity and social behavior. Methods: Participants were 151 preschool children (70 girls, 81 boys; Mage = 52.51 months, SD = 3.38) attending public and private kindergartens in Thessaloniki (Greece) and Nicosia (Cyprus). Children’s psychosocial development was assessed by kindergarten teachers using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, while parents reported their own and their children’s physical activity through the Preschool-age Children’s Physical Activity Questionnaire (home version). Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations were computed, and the main hypotheses were tested using multiple linear regression analyses. Results: Results indicated a consistent positive association between parental physical activity and children’s physical activity across intensity levels. Parental physical activity frequency and duration during both weekdays and weekends was significantly associated with children’s low-, moderate-, and vigorous-intensity physical activity, while parental beliefs about physical activity were negatively associated with children’s sedentary behavior. In contrast, parental physical activity showed no significant association with all indicators of social behavior at school, including emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and prosocial behavior. Conclusions: Overall, the findings support the role of parental physical activity as an important correlate of preschool children’s physical activity behavior, while its direct association with broader psychosocial development appears small. These results highlight the importance of parental role modeling and attitudes toward physical activity, particularly in shaping children’s movement behaviors.