Association between socio-economic status and physical activity is mediated by social support in Brazilian students

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated whether the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is mediated by social support of peers and parents. A cross-sectional study included students (n = 1182) aged 11 to 18 years who were recruited in 2014 from public schools in Fortaleza, Brazil. Participants completed a questionnaire to assess all variables. Mediation analyses were performed to determine the role of parental support and peer support on the relationship between SES and MVPA. Also, moderated-mediation analyses with estimating of conditional indirect effects were performed in order to identify whether gender is a moderator of the mediating effect. A positive and significant association between SES and MVPA was found among Brazilian students, and social support of parents and peers were significant mediators of this relationship. Conditional indirect effects showed that both parental and peer support had a significant indirect effect among boys; only parental support had a significant indirect effect among girls. These results suggest that improving social support can help reduce the impact of SES on physical activity among Brazilian adolescents.

KEYWORDS:

• Parents
• peers
• gender
• mediation analysis
• adolescents
• MVPA

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Municipal Education Department for technical support and authorization to conduct this study. We thank all members of the school community (managers, teachers, parents, and students), as well as all members of the “Fortaleça sua Saúde” working group.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

VCBF has received individual grants [N. 10737/2014-6] from the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES). ASL has received individual grants [N, 303012/2013-7] from the Conselho Nacional de Ciência e Technologia (CNPQ). AMG have received individual grants from the Mitacs Globalink Research Award.