“It’s what mothers do.” A qualitative exploration of mothers’ experiences of supporting their daughter to be physically active

Abstract

Objective Girls are more at risk than boys of the non-communicable diseases associated with insufficient levels of physical activity (PA), therefore it is important to explore the reasons why girls maintain or cease to be physically active. Maternal support plays an important role in girl’s PA, yet the factors influencing mothers’ support of their PA have received limited exploration. In response, the aim of this study was to explore, mothers’ experiences of supporting their daughters to be physically active and their perceptions of the factors that might influence these experiences. Method Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of mothers (n = 29) of girls (Mean age = 10.9 years; SD = 0.6). Reflexive Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the data, with themes mapped to the relevant domains of the Theoretical Domains Framework. Results Themes highlighted how mothers described providing PA support as an inherent part of their parental role and how their role was influenced by their own PA identity. Mothers recognised that the type and amount of support they provided was impacted by the community setting in which they lived. Mothers acknowledged how the role of others (e.g., partners, grandparents, peers) added a layer of complexity to supporting their daughters to be active. Conclusion This study advances our understanding of maternal PA support behaviours recognising the complex interplay of individual, social and environmental factors. Additionally, the use of the Theoretical Domains Framework presents an in-depth behavioural diagnosis which can be used to inform future theory-based interventions to promote parent support of children’s PA.