ABSTRACT
Introduction Research in promoting children’s health and physical activity is not new, nor is the role of parents in encouraging and supporting physical activity engagement (Burrows 2004; Macdonald et al. 2004). However, the majority of studies are based predominantly in western cultures and are conducted from positivistic approaches, producing statistical data (Fredricks and Eccles 2005). In an attempt to address this silence, here we are interested in exploring the subjective meaning of parental influences on young people’s physical activity participation within a Chinese cultural environment. By applying Confucianism as the theoretical context, we aim to better understand the social and cultural background of Hong Kong Chinese parents and their children in terms of their relationships to and about physical activity engagement.
