Network Analysis of Physical Fitness, Parental Support, and Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity in Schoolchildren: Evidence from the ACTIBESE Project

Background. Active behaviour denotes any type of movement that enhances overall physical well-being, a trend that has seen a gradual decline among schoolchildren globally. Methods. The sample includes 655 schoolchildren aged 8 to 16. Instruments used include a questionnaire for sociodemographic and physical activity (PA) variables, assessing factors like gender, age, socioeconomic level, PA levels, self-perceived physical fitness, and parental and peer support for PA. Descriptive statistics were used alongside linear regression to establish associations. Network Analysis, utilising the Fruchterman-Reingold algorithm, was employed to visualise relationships between variables. Centrality indices were calculated to determine variables' influence within the network, while sparsity values indicated network density. Results. In children, recess-related activity strongly correlates with moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA), while adolescents show multiple associations with MVPA, including activities during recess, lunchtime, and physical education classes. Parental support plays a significant role, particularly in adolescents. Out-of-school PA is well connected among peer support nodes in both children and adolescents, while adolescents show stronger connections with parental support, socioeconomic variables, and physical condition nodes. Notably, friends' encouragement and parental support significantly influence PA behaviours in both age groups. Conclusion. Out-of-school PA, parental and peer support have more influence on MVPA in children and adolescents than other traditional reasons.