An investigation of roles parents in home environments play in the development of active living behaviours in Kabwe – Zambia

Abstract

The study is an investigation of the roles parents in home environments play in the development of active living behaviours in Kabwe, Zambia. The researcher wanted to explore whether active living styles were a part of daily life of children in Kabwe which is in the Central Province of Zambia as a result of the roles that parents played in the active living home environments. The population of this study was the Mukobeko residents of Kabwe. The researcher used a questionnaire survey with structured and unstructured questions for the purpose of gathering information on the opinion of people in Mukobeko area of Kabwe concerning parental roles in active living home environments. The following subsidiary questions were included in a questionnaire survey that helped in the collection of specific data to answer the key research study question:  What are the attitudes of parents towards physical education and sport?  How are the parenting behaviours in the active living home environments demonstrated?  What are the community support services that are accessed in active living home environments?  What community support services need to be provided to support active living home environments? Participants in the study were parents, their children and teachers. The research study has concluded that active living styles were a part of the daily life of children in Mukobeko area of Kabwe as a result of the roles that parents played in the active living home environments such as: the provision of a conducive environment for physical activities; the provision of transport whenever children went for sports; the buying of PE attire for the children; the payment of sports fund for the children; the encouraging of children to take part in physical education and sports among others. The results seem to show that if the Zambian people were to be sensitised on the importance of active living then Zambia would be a health country in which the Zambian children would be provided with opportunities for healthy child development through active play. If the Zambian government through the Ministry of Education, Science and Vocation Training, and Early Education would play a pivotal role in supplementing the parents’ roles through the teaching of physical education in line with the new curricula; then there would be enhancement of active living in the country through modern and traditional games; and physical activity.