BACKGROUND: Early childhood physical activity is a core component of 24-hour movement behaviors and plays a critical role in children's health and development. Although global guidelines provide recommendations for preschool-aged children, less is known about how parents interpret and translate these recommendations into everyday family practices. This study aimed to explore parents' perceptions and experiences regarding physical activity recommendations for preschool children and how these are implemented within daily family contexts. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive phenomenological study was conducted with 17 parents of preschool children recruited from early childhood education settings in southern Chile. Semistructured interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Colaizzi's method. Reporting followed the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). Data were organized into themes and categories reflecting parental experiences and contextual influences on physical activity promotion. RESULTS: Three interrelated themes were identified: (1) meanings attributed to physical activity recommendations, (2) parental role and practices, and (3) contextual facilitators and barriers. Parents primarily conceptualized physical activity through play, coparticipation, and relational engagement rather than structured exercise. Awareness of formal recommendations was limited, with caregiving practices guided mainly by intuitive beliefs about child development. Environmental conditions, time constraints, and housing characteristics strongly influenced opportunities for movement. CONCLUSIONS: Parents do not implement physical activity recommendations as prescriptive guidelines but reinterpret them through relational and contextual practices. Physical activity promotion strategies for preschool children should emphasize family-based engagement and context-sensitive physical activity promotion approaches to enhance the relevance and feasibility of guideline implementation.
Altamirano et al. (Thu,) studied this question.