Do role models (parents and friends) influence the practice of physical activity and sport in Cantabrian students aged 10 to 12?

The aim of this study was to understand and analyze the influence of parents and friends of primary school children on the practice of physical activity and sport (PA&S), based on gender and age. This descriptive observational study included 295 children in fifth and sixth grade of primary education [147 girls (49.8%) and 148 boys (50.2%)], aged 10 to 12 years (M = 10.77; SD = 0.69). For data collection, the Questionnaire of Influences on Physical Activity and Health was used. The results revealing significant differences in terms of the influence of parents on the age factor in the importance that the father gives to PA&S (SI_Importance; p = 0.016). Mothers influence daughters in the frequency of communication about PA&S (SS_Communication; p = 0.028), the importance of her influence for participation in PA&S (SS_Participation; p = 0.023), the encouragement to perform PA&S (SI_Encourage; p = 0.018), importance (SI_Importance; p = 0.041), the frequency of practice of PA&S of the model (MI_Frequency1; p = 0.025) and the joint frequency of PA&S (MI_Frequency2; p = 0.018). Friends influence boys more than girls in MI_Frequency2 (p = 0.017). In the age factor, the oldest are influenced in SS_Communication (p = 0.001), SS_Participation (p = 0.010), SI_Importance (p = 0.035). A greater identification with the paternal model at earlier ages and the importance of the maternal role, especially in girls, in the promotion of PA&S, and of friends in boys are highlighted.