A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Intervention to Increase Parental Support for Children's Physical Activity in Outdoor Natural Spaces
A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Intervention to Increase Parental Support for Children's Physical Activity in Outdoor Natural Spaces
This three-arm randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of an 8-week, WeChat-based parental support intervention designed to increase parents' support for children's physical activity in outdoor natural spaces. Participants were randomly assigned to a Self-Determination Theory plus identity intervention group, a Self-Determination Theory intervention group, or an education control group. Across the intervention period, each group received two articles per week via a WeChat Official Account, which were disseminated through condition-specific WeChat groups.
The primary outcome was parental support for children's physical activity in outdoor natural spaces. Secondary outcomes included children's physical activity in outdoor natural spaces and theory-based psychological variables related to parental support. Assessments were conducted at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 8 weeks after the intervention had ended. Findings are intended to inform the development of feasible, theory-informed digital interventions to enhance parental support for children's nature-based physical activity.
This three-arm randomized controlled trial was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-week, WeChat-based parental support intervention in increasing parents' support for children's physical activity in outdoor natural spaces. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: a Self-Determination Theory plus identity intervention group, a Self-Determination Theory group, or an education control group.
The intervention was delivered digitally through WeChat. During the 8-week intervention period, participants in each group received two articles per week via a WeChat Official Account, which were disseminated to condition-specific WeChat groups. In total, 16 articles were delivered to each group. The content of the articles differed according to the assigned intervention condition.
The Self-Determination Theory intervention was designed to enhance parents' autonomy, competence, and relatedness in supporting their children's physical activity in outdoor natural spaces. The intervention content aimed to help parents understand the value of supporting children's nature-based physical activity, develop confidence in providing practical support, and foster supportive parent-child interactions around outdoor activity participation. The Self-Determination Theory plus identity intervention included the same need-supportive components, with additional content aimed at strengthening parents' support identity. This identity-focused component was designed to help parents view supporting children's physical activity in outdoor natural spaces as consistent with their role as supportive parents. The education control group received general educational materials concerning children's health behaviours, without theory-based behaviour-change content targeting parental support.
The primary outcome was parental support for children's physical activity in outdoor natural spaces. Secondary outcomes included family physical activity in outdoor natural spaces and theory-based psychological variables related to parental support, including autonomy, competence, relatedness, intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, integrated regulation, and parental support identity. Assessments were conducted at three time points: baseline, immediately after the 8-week intervention, and 8 weeks after the intervention had ended.
Findings from this trial are expected to provide evidence regarding preliminary effectiveness of a theory-informed, digitally delivered intervention for enhancing parental support for children's physical activity in outdoor natural spaces.
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