Physical activity and social connectedness in single-parent families

Little is known about how to promote physical activity in single-parent families. We evaluated physical activity, barriers to physical activity and social connectedness changes in single-parent families following a one year YMCA programme. At baseline, 106 single parents completed a survey about physical activity, barriers to activity and social connectedness. Sixty-four parents provided data after 12 months. Self-reported minutes of physical activity per week decreased over the 12 months (p < 0.05). However, perceptions of activity over the 12 months increased 44% for parents and 66% for children. Family-related barriers that decreased following the programme included a lack of time and affordability of existing opportunities. Compared with their baseline responses, parents at 12 months showed an increased frequency of visits with friends (p < 0.05). Difficulties in recruiting and retaining single parents to complete the evaluation are testimony to the current poor understanding of the leisure needs of single-parent families. The results provide direction for future research.