IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i7p2498-d341932.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Socioeconomic Status and Physical Activity among Mothers of Young Children in an Asian City: The Mediating Role of Household Activities and Domestic Help

Author

Listed:
  • Alison Carver

    (Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia)

  • Muhammad Akram

    (Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia)

  • Anthony Barnett

    (Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia)

  • Robin Mellecker

    (Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

  • Ester Cerin

    (Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
    School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

Abstract

Mothers of preschoolers (3 to 5 years old) risk being physically inactive. This study aimed to examine associations between socioeconomic status (education, employment, income) and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among mothers of preschoolers in Hong Kong. Family functioning (e.g., having a domestic helper, division of household chores and child-related activities) was explored as a potential mediator of associations between socioeconomic indicators and the mother’s self-reported MVPA. Using zero-inflated negative binomial modelling confounder-adjusted associations between socioeconomic indicators and MVPA (total effects) were estimated. Mediation analyses (joint-significance test) were also performed. Using generalized linear mixed models, intermediate pathways were identified. No significant total effects of any socioeconomic indicator on the mother’s MVPA were found. However, mediation analyses identified a complex network of inconsistent mediators partly explaining their associations via eight pathways. Also, whilst non-residents/extended family playing with the child(ren) was not associated with any socioeconomic indicator, this was negatively associated with the mother’s MVPA. A further pathway was mediated by the mother playing with her child(ren). Extended family playing with the child(ren) was inversely associated with the mother doing so. Associations between socioeconomic indicators and MVPA among preschoolers’ mothers are complex and inconsistent, requiring further investigation in diverse contexts. Encouraging active play with their preschoolers may increase mothers’ physical activity levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Alison Carver & Muhammad Akram & Anthony Barnett & Robin Mellecker & Ester Cerin, 2020. "Socioeconomic Status and Physical Activity among Mothers of Young Children in an Asian City: The Mediating Role of Household Activities and Domestic Help," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-16, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:7:p:2498-:d:341932
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/7/2498/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/7/2498/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mingling Chen & Yikang Wu & Hiroto Narimatsu & Xueqing Li & Chunmei Wang & Jianyong Luo & Genming Zhao & Zhongwen Chen & Wanghong Xu, 2015. "Socioeconomic Status and Physical Activity in Chinese Adults: A Report from a Community-Based Survey in Jiaxing, China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(7), pages 1-12, July.
    2. Cerin, Ester & Leslie, Eva, 2008. "How socio-economic status contributes to participation in leisure-time physical activity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(12), pages 2596-2609, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Claudio Costantino & Alessandra Casuccio & Vincenzo Restivo, 2020. "Potential Risks and Factors of Women’s Health Promotion," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-7, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chau-kiu Cheung & Andrew Yiu-tsang Low & Xuan Ning, 2019. "Marital Liberalization in Relation to Life Satisfaction," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 14(2), pages 291-307, April.
    2. Ragna Stalsberg & Arve Vorland Pedersen, 2018. "Are Differences in Physical Activity across Socioeconomic Groups Associated with Choice of Physical Activity Variables to Report?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-23, May.
    3. Sarah Liew & Josephine Gwynn & Janice Smith & Natalie A. Johnson & Ronald Plotnikoff & Erica L. James & Nicole Turner, 2022. "The Barriers and Facilitators of Sport and Physical Activity Participation for Aboriginal Children in Rural New South Wales, Australia: A Photovoice Project," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-15, February.
    4. Felipe Magno & Carla Schwengber ten Caten & Alberto Reinaldo Reppold Filho & Aline Marian Callegaro & Alan de Carvalho Dias Ferreira, 2020. "Factors Related to Sports Participation in Brazil: An Analysis Based on the 2015 National Household Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-17, August.
    5. Nan Chen & Chiung-Tzu Lucetta Tsai, 2020. "Rural-Urban Divide and the Social Stratification in Leisure Participation in China: Application of Multiple Hierarchy Stratification Perspective," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(5), pages 1535-1548, November.
    6. Marlene Rosager Lund Pedersen & Anne Faber Hansen & Karsten Elmose-Østerlund, 2021. "Motives and Barriers Related to Physical Activity and Sport across Social Backgrounds: Implications for Health Promotion," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-16, May.
    7. Daniel Puciato, 2019. "Sociodemographic Associations of Physical Activity in People of Working Age," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-12, June.
    8. Li, Shengxiao & Zhao, Pengjun & Zhang, He & Quan, Jing, 2019. "Walking behavior in the old downtown Beijing: The impact of perceptions and attitudes and social variations," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 1-11.
    9. Qing Wang & Jay J Shen & Michelle Sotero & Casey A Li & Zhiyuan Hou, 2018. "Income, occupation and education: Are they related to smoking behaviors in China?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(2), pages 1-17, February.
    10. Hearst, Mary O. & Sirard, John R. & Forsyth, Ann & Parker, Emily D. & Klein, Elizabeth G. & Green, Christine G. & Lytle, Leslie A., 2013. "The relationship of area-level sociodemographic characteristics, household composition and individual-level socioeconomic status on walking behavior among adults," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 149-157.
    11. Cerin, Ester & Leslie, Eva & Owen, Neville, 2009. "Explaining socio-economic status differences in walking for transport: An ecological analysis of individual, social and environmental factors," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1013-1020, March.
    12. Kaarboe, Oddvar & Siciliani, Luigi, 2023. "Contracts for primary and secondary care physicians and equity-efficiency trade-offs," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    13. Peter D. Lunn & Elish Kelly, 2015. "Participation in School Sport and Post-School Pathways: Evidence from Ireland," National Institute Economic Review, National Institute of Economic and Social Research, vol. 232(1), pages 51-66, May.
    14. John W. M. Yuen & Katherine K. P. Chang & Frances K. Y. Wong & Fiona Y. Wong & Judy Y. M. Siu & H. C. Ho & M. S. Wong & Janice Y. S. Ho & K. L. Chan & Lin Yang, 2019. "Influence of Urban Green Space and Facility Accessibility on Exercise and Healthy Diet in Hong Kong," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-15, April.
    15. Jennie A. Petersen & Calli Naish & Dalia Ghoneim & Jason L. Cabaj & Patricia K. Doyle-Baker & Gavin R. McCormack, 2021. "Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour: A Qualitative Study in a Canadian City," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-15, April.
    16. Mathew Y. H. Wong & Wing Hong Chui, 2017. "Economic Development and Subjective Well-being: A Comparative Study of Adolescents in Hong Kong and Macau," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 10(1), pages 247-265, March.
    17. Bo-Ram Kim & Sunghwun Kang & Woo-Suk Jeong, 2022. "The Association of Menstruation and Leisure-Time Physical Activity among Korean Female University Students: A Preliminary Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-11, June.
    18. Lisa K. Micklesfield & Richard J. Munthali & Alessandra Prioreschi & Rihlat Said-Mohamed & Alastair Van Heerden & Stephen Tollman & Kathleen Kahn & David Dunger & Shane A. Norris, 2017. "Understanding the Relationship between Socio-Economic Status, Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour, and Adiposity in Young Adult South African Women Using Structural Equation Modelling," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-12, October.
    19. Nicoleta Cutumisu & John C. Spence, 2012. "Sport Fields as Potential Catalysts for Physical Activity in the Neighbourhood," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-21, January.
    20. Huikari, Sanna & Junttila, Hanna & Ala-Mursula, Leena & Jämsä, Timo & Korpelainen, Raija & Miettunen, Jouko & Svento, Rauli & Korhonen, Marko, 2021. "Leisure-time physical activity is associated with socio-economic status beyond income – Cross-sectional survey of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 study," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:7:p:2498-:d:341932. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.