Parental Support Is Associated With Healthy Movement Behaviours In Children With Disabilities During Covid-19

Parental support of healthy movement behaviours (i.e., daily physical activity, PA; reduced sedentary behaviours, SB; and adequate sleep) is important, particularly in children and youth with disabilities (CYWD), who are often less active and more sedentary, on average, compared with typically developing children. The COVID-19 pandemic and related public health restrictions have limited children’s PA and increased SBs and placed significant stress on families of CYWD. Parental support of healthy movement behaviours may be critical in mitigating the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for CYWD. PURPOSE: To assess the association between parental support and healthy movement behaviours in CYWD during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We recruited parents of school-aged CYWD (n = 151) in April/May 2020. Parents assessed their child’s previous 7-day PA, SB, and sleep, perceived changes in their child’s movement behaviours due to the COVID-19 restrictions, and perceived parental support of their child’s movement behaviours during COVID-19. We assessed the association between movement behaviours and parental factors using Pearson and point-biserial correlations, where * = p < .05 and ** = p < .01. RESULTS: Few CYWD were meeting the combined healthy movement behaviour guidelines (1.3%) during the initial phase (April/May 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic. Parent encouragement was positively associated with increased child’s outdoor PA (.23**), wheeling, walking, and biking (.19**), indoor PA (.16**), chores (.19*), and family-based PA (.26**). Parental co-play was similarly positively associated with the child’s increased outdoor PA (.26**), wheeling, walking, and biking (.39**), and family-based PA (.26**). Overall parent capability and opportunity to support movement behaviours was positively associated with the child’s increased child’s outdoor PA (.38**), wheeling, walking, and biking (.26**), chores (.16*), and family-based PA (.37**), as well as increased sleep quality (0.31**) and decreased screen time (-.22**). CONCLUSIONS: Parents of CYWD have an important role in encouraging healthy movement behaviours. As we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, return to play recommendations should consider the role of the family in supporting healthy movement behaviours in CYWD.

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