Motives of Children for Digital Gaming and Physical Activity and Their Parents’ Perceptions: Cross-Sectional Matched-Pair Study

The findings emphasize the complexity of children's motivational profiles, suggesting that engagement in DG is not necessarily a sign of diminished interest in PA but rather reflects alternative, equally compelling motivations. This nuanced understanding challenges simplistic dichotomies and supports the need for balanced perspectives on children's activity preferences. Importantly, no statistically significant differences were detected between children's self-reported motives and adults' perceptions of their children's motives, suggesting a general tendency toward similar ratings rather than clear evidence of alignment. These insights can inform the development of more tailored strategies for promoting both physical and digital engagement in a healthy and complementary manner.