Table 3 Key findings and implications for behaviour change programs
Finding | Implication for behaviour change programmes |
|---|---|
Physical activity interests change as children age, moving from free-play to structured activities | Identify times in day to promote physical activity and flex the content to match changes in interest |
Parental influence on PA and SV becomes less overt – more about facilitation, support and modelling | Need to develop parental facilitation skills and encourage parents to model the behaviours that they wish their child to adopt |
Children want increased licence for both physical activity and sedentary time as they age | Provide children with a range of nearby PA options to encourage participation with friends and independent mobility without parent support – explore this in next year’s interviews? Develop ways to encourage children to use increased licence to engage in active options as opposed to sedentary screen options |
Devices and technology constantly evolve | Develop a shared family view on screen-viewing that is focussed on the time / setting and not the device |
Child knows more about screen-viewing devices than parent | Encourage child to share knowledge with parent to build shared understanding of the technology and how to use it |
Screen-viewing interests change | Develop key principles for screen-viewing that can adapt as interests change |