Engaging dads and daughters to increase physical activity and social and emotional well-being in pre-adolescent girls: The DADEE (Dads And Daughters Exercising and Empowered) program

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Children and adults who participate in recommended levels of physical activity experience a plethora of physical and psychological health benefits. However, 80% of men and 80% of girls do not meet government physical activity recommendations in Australia. Of particular concern is that girls are less active than boys at all ages. Moreover, girls drop out of sport at a rate six times greater than boys. There are a number of biological, psycho-social and environmental factors that explain girls' lower activity levels, with many of these modifiable. For example, less than 10% of girls can perform basic sports skills (e.g. throwing, catching) by the time they leave primary school. This is alarming as research shows that these skills are strongly associated with physical activity, fitness and weight status. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop community-based interventions that engage girls in physical activity and develop the knowledge and movement skills for lifelong participation. Parents play a critical role in their children's physical activity levels through provision of opportunities, encouragement and role modelling positive activity attitudes and behaviours. Despite this, girls receive less encouragement and opportunities for physical activity from their parents than boys. Emerging research has shown that mothers and fathers differ in their physical activity-related parenting practices and that fathers who are actively engaged with their daughters impact on a host of important physical and mental health outcomes including higher levels of cognitive ability, self-esteem, social skills, and educational outcomes. However, research has shown fathers spend less time with their daughters than their sons and may discount the importance of their relationships with their daughters. Physical activity provides an exciting medium through which to develop physical, cognitive and social-emotional skills in girls and fathers may play a key role. The overall aim of this pilot project is to develop and evaluate an intervention targeting both fathers and their daughter(s) to improve the physical activity levels and social/emotional health of girls. Two major purposes are: (i) to help fathers improve their own physical activity levels and learn parenting skills to promote and role model positive behaviours relating to physical activity for their daughters (ii) to improve the physical activity behaviours, fundamental movement skill proficiency and social-emotional well-being of their daughters.