ABSTRACT

Over the life course, family relationships are likely to have a profound bearing upon physical activity habits. This chapter argues that lifelong implications of an active childhood are unclear and parental influence wanes over time, studies of the impact of ‘family structure’ are impaired by confusion between household and family distinctions and parenting research is dominated by mothers who perceive their own physical activity involvement to be either detrimental to the current, or beneficial to the future, wellbeing of their children. Of interest to policy, is that parents place greater value on the wellbeing than health benefits of being active.