Family social class differences in children's leisure-time physical activity: The mediating role of parenting styles and the family sports environment

This study adopts social practice theory to explore the mechanisms through which differences in family social class influence children's leisure-time physical activity. It aims to enhance children's engagement in leisure-time physical activity and improve their overall health. Using a sample of 1169 families in Guangdong Province, this study constructs a multiple-chain mediation model to analyze the relationship between family social class and children's leisure-time physical activity. It further examines the mediating roles of parenting styles and the family sports environment in this relationship. The findings indicate that family social class does not exert a direct influence on children's leisure-time physical activity. Instead, it indirectly promotes the level of such activity through the internalization of parenting styles and the subsequent transformation of the family sports environment. Among these mechanisms, authoritative parenting styles facilitate the development of a family sports environment and enhance children's participation in leisure-time physical activities, whereas authoritarian parenting styles exert a negative influence on children's participation in leisure-time physical activities. These findings validate the explanatory power of Bourdieu's social practice theory framework, suggesting that to effectively promote children's leisure-time physical activity levels, it is insufficient to solely examine and analyze the family's social class. Instead, greater emphasis should be placed on understanding and prioritizing parenting styles and the family sports environment.