Authors names

Reza Rostami

Affiliations

University of New South Wales

Introduction

Prolonged asylum-related stress, including visa insecurity and settlement barriers, can reduce opportunities for physical activity and contribute to poor psychological wellbeing in parents and children. Parental emotional dysregulation, particularly anger, may compound these effects by increasing household stress and negatively influencing children’s mental health. However, longitudinal evidence on
how physical activity interacts with parental emotional wellbeing and child outcomes in refugee families is limited.

Method

Data drawn from the Reassure CAP Project (N = 198 children and their parents), recruited from 2016 to 2021. Physical activity frequency was assessed via standardised self-report measures, while parental anger, PTSD symptoms, post-migration living difficulties, and child distress (SDQ) were evaluated annually. Latent Class Growth Analysis (LCGA) identified trajectory groups. Associations between physical activity and mental health outcomes were examined using repeated measures ANOVA and correlation analyses.

Results & findings

Preliminary analyses indicate that families maintaining higher levels of physical activity over time reported lower parental anger, reduced PTSD symptoms, and fewer child mental health difficulties. Lower physical activity trajectories were associated with persistent high parental anger and greater child distress.

Discussion

Sustained physical activity may act as a protective factor in mitigating the negative effects of asylum-related stress on both parental and child mental health in refugee families. These findings highlight the need for culturally tailored, accessible physical activity interventions that address structural barriers, particularly for families with insecure visas.