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Table 2 Benefits associated to PA in childhood

From: Parental views of children’s physical activity: a qualitative study with parents from multi-ethnic backgrounds living in England

 

Example quote

Health and physical development (the prevention of disease, weight management, body development)

‘…it [PA] leads the child to be healthy’. (Mother 1, Black Somali group)

‘I think it’s important because it builds up their body, its builds up a stronger body’. (Father 2, Black African group)

Psycho-social state (increased sense of happiness, improved well-being, mentality, fit-in with peers)

‘They feel happy, they feel happy [when they do exercise] and when they don’t do exercise it makes… they don’t feel happy’. (Mother 2, Black African group)

‘…I always want him to participate in PA and that's why I keep coming back to physical activities. I want him to participate in school as fully to fit in, not to just fit in, to, to make friends, in these groups that they have’. (Mother 4, Yemeni group)

Skill acquisition

‘We just hope our children can fully develop their skills, I will let him try everything’. (Mother 4, Chinese group)

Establishing healthy lifestyle habits for the future

‘He’s doing karate at the moment, which I know loads of people, the kids, the rest of the kids are doing as well but I just feel that if he doesn’t do that when he’s young he’ll never to that when he’s older. If he hasn’t got the mentality to keep fit when he’s younger he will never have it when he grows older’. (Mother 3, Yemeni group)