‘It’s important that we learn too’: Empowering parents to facilitate participation in physical activity for children and youth with disabilities

Aim: The actions and behaviors of parents have been identified as key factors that influence a child’s participation in physical activity. However, there is limited knowledge of how parents can be supported to embody facilitative roles. This study aimed to explore how an ecological intervention enco...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Willis, C., Reid, S., Elliott, Catherine, Nyquist, A., Jahnsen, R., Rosenberg, M., Girdler, Sonya
Format: Journal Article
Published: Informa Healthcare 2017
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/59276
_version_ 1848760434705825792
author Willis, C.
Reid, S.
Elliott, Catherine
Nyquist, A.
Jahnsen, R.
Rosenberg, M.
Girdler, Sonya
author_facet Willis, C.
Reid, S.
Elliott, Catherine
Nyquist, A.
Jahnsen, R.
Rosenberg, M.
Girdler, Sonya
author_sort Willis, C.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Aim: The actions and behaviors of parents have been identified as key factors that influence a child’s participation in physical activity. However, there is limited knowledge of how parents can be supported to embody facilitative roles. This study aimed to explore how an ecological intervention encourages parents of children with disabilities to develop as facilitators, to enable ongoing physical activity participation in a child’s local environment. Methods: A qualitative design using grounded theory was employed. Forty four parents (26 mothers, 18 fathers) of 31 children with a range of disabilities (mean age 12y 6m (SD 2y 2m); 18 males) partaking in the Local Environment Model intervention at Beitostolen Healthsports Centre in Norway participated in the study. Data were derived from the triangulation of semi-structured interviews and participant observation. Data analysis was an iterative approach of constant comparison, where data collection, memo writing, open, axial and selective coding analysis, were undertaken simultaneously. Findings were consolidated into a model describing the central phenomenon and its relationship to other categories. Results: Thematic concepts uncovered in this study describe a social process of parent learning and empowerment, comprising three primary components; (i) active ingredients of the intervention that enabled learning and empowerment to transpire, (ii) parent learning and empowerment as a process, and (iii) related outcomes. Conclusion: A family-centered approach, encompassing family-to-family support, may enhance physical activity participation outcomes for children and youth with disabilities.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T10:15:43Z
format Journal Article
id curtin-20.500.11937-59276
institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T10:15:43Z
publishDate 2017
publisher Informa Healthcare
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling curtin-20.500.11937-592762019-04-15T03:48:32Z ‘It’s important that we learn too’: Empowering parents to facilitate participation in physical activity for children and youth with disabilities Willis, C. Reid, S. Elliott, Catherine Nyquist, A. Jahnsen, R. Rosenberg, M. Girdler, Sonya Aim: The actions and behaviors of parents have been identified as key factors that influence a child’s participation in physical activity. However, there is limited knowledge of how parents can be supported to embody facilitative roles. This study aimed to explore how an ecological intervention encourages parents of children with disabilities to develop as facilitators, to enable ongoing physical activity participation in a child’s local environment. Methods: A qualitative design using grounded theory was employed. Forty four parents (26 mothers, 18 fathers) of 31 children with a range of disabilities (mean age 12y 6m (SD 2y 2m); 18 males) partaking in the Local Environment Model intervention at Beitostolen Healthsports Centre in Norway participated in the study. Data were derived from the triangulation of semi-structured interviews and participant observation. Data analysis was an iterative approach of constant comparison, where data collection, memo writing, open, axial and selective coding analysis, were undertaken simultaneously. Findings were consolidated into a model describing the central phenomenon and its relationship to other categories. Results: Thematic concepts uncovered in this study describe a social process of parent learning and empowerment, comprising three primary components; (i) active ingredients of the intervention that enabled learning and empowerment to transpire, (ii) parent learning and empowerment as a process, and (iii) related outcomes. Conclusion: A family-centered approach, encompassing family-to-family support, may enhance physical activity participation outcomes for children and youth with disabilities. 2017 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/59276 10.1080/11038128.2017.1378367 Informa Healthcare restricted
spellingShingle Willis, C.
Reid, S.
Elliott, Catherine
Nyquist, A.
Jahnsen, R.
Rosenberg, M.
Girdler, Sonya
‘It’s important that we learn too’: Empowering parents to facilitate participation in physical activity for children and youth with disabilities
title ‘It’s important that we learn too’: Empowering parents to facilitate participation in physical activity for children and youth with disabilities
title_full ‘It’s important that we learn too’: Empowering parents to facilitate participation in physical activity for children and youth with disabilities
title_fullStr ‘It’s important that we learn too’: Empowering parents to facilitate participation in physical activity for children and youth with disabilities
title_full_unstemmed ‘It’s important that we learn too’: Empowering parents to facilitate participation in physical activity for children and youth with disabilities
title_short ‘It’s important that we learn too’: Empowering parents to facilitate participation in physical activity for children and youth with disabilities
title_sort ‘it’s important that we learn too’: empowering parents to facilitate participation in physical activity for children and youth with disabilities
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/59276