Overprotective parenting and preschoolers’ physical activity and screen time: cross-sectional findings from the DAGIS survey

Abstract Background General parenting describes a parents’ overall approach to parenting across situations, creating the emotional climate of the parent–child relationship. Some general parenting constructs have been associated with children’s health behaviors. However, overprotective parenting—marked by excessive involvement and control with limited autonomy support relative to the child’s developmental level—remains largely understudied in relation to preschoolers’ physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST), as do the potential moderating effects of sociodemographic variables in these associations. Therefore, we examined the associations of overprotection with PA and ST among Finnish preschoolers and explored whether parental education or children’s sex moderated these associations. Methods This cross-sectional study included 798 Finnish 3–6-year-olds and their parents from the DAGIS Survey. Parents completed an overprotection scale from an item-reduced version of the Comprehensive General Parenting Questionnaire. Children’s ST was parent-reported via a seven-day diary, while PA was measured with Actigraph accelerometers (for seven days). Weekday, weekend, and overall averages were computed for ST, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and total physical activity (TPA). Linear mixed-effects models were used for analyses. The models were adjusted for the child’s age and sex, parental education, number of children in the household, birth order, and questionnaire respondent (mother/father). Moderation by sex and education was tested by adding the corresponding interaction terms to the models. Results Children’s weighted averages were 71 min of MVPA, 398 min of TPA, and 76 min of ST per day. Overprotection was inversely associated with weekend MVPA (B: -3.49, 95%CI: -6.50; -0.48), weekend TPA (B: -9.94, 95%CI: -16.56; -3.34), and overall average TPA (B: -5.70, 95%CI: -10.78; -0.64). No associations with ST were found, nor were any associations moderated by sex or parental education. Conclusions These results suggest an association between higher overprotection and lower PA among preschool-aged children regardless of child sex and parental educational level. We hypothesize that overprotective parents may, for example, restrict children’s PA due to safety concerns. Although the mechanisms and causality of the associations found require further investigation, identifying and addressing overprotective parenting could be beneficial in PA-promoting interventions.