Parents’ fear about children’s independent mobility

Bennetts, S.K., Cooklin, A.R., Crawford, S., D’Esposito, F., Hackworth, N.J., Green, J., Matthews, J., Strazdins, L., Zubrick, S.R. & Nicholson, J.M. (2017). What influences parents’ fear about children’s independent mobility? Evidence from a state-wide survey of Australian parents. American Journal of Health Promotion. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890117117740442

Abstract

Purpose

To identify factors associated with generalized and stranger-specific parental fear (PF) about children’s independent mobility (CIM), a critical aspect of physical activity.

Design

Cross-sectional survey; random sampling frame, minimum quotas of fathers, rural residents.

Setting

State of Victoria, Australia.

Subjects

Parents of children aged 9 to 15 years (n = 1779), 71% response rate.

Measures

Validated measures of PF and fear of strangers (FoS); parent, child, social, and environmental factors.

Analysis

Unadjusted and adjusted linear regression stratified by child age (9-10; 11-13; 14-15).

Results

Adjusted models explained a substantial proportion of variance across all age groups (PF: 33.6%-36.7%; FoS: 39.1%-44.0%). Perceived disapproval from others was consistently associated with both outcomes (PF: β =.11 to 23, p ≤ .05; FoS: β =.17-.21, p ≤ .001) as was parents’ perception of children’s competence to travel safely (PF: β = −.24 to −.11, p ≤ .05; FoS: β = −.16 to −.13, p ≤ .01). Factors associated with FoS included having a female child (β = −.21 to −.13, p ≤ .001), language other than English (β = .09 to.11, p ≤ .01), and low levels of parent education (β = −.14 to −08, p ≤ .05).

Conclusion

The current study suggests that social norms, child competence, and perceptions about the benefits of CIM underpin PF. This evidence informs the development of interventions to reduce PF and promote CIM and children’s physical activity.