Key takeaway:
- This study found significant relationships between neighborhood environmental factors and physical activity among girls ages 10-14 across ethnic groups.
Results:
- In the study sample, African American girls had higher moderate-to-vigorous physical activity than Latino and White girls, White girls reported fewer perceived neighborhood barriers to physical activity than African American and Latino American girls, and Latino American girls lived in less walkable areas than African American and White girls.
- Active commuting to school increased with age, but overall moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was higher among younger girls.
- Lower household income, greater access to neighborhood physical activity facilities, greater neighborhood walkability, and shorter distance to the nearest school were all associated with more active transportation to/from school.
- In this study, correlations between physical activity and active transportation to/from school and neighborhood barriers were consistent across all ethnic groups.
Methods:
- The study sample comprised 372 African American, Latino American, and White girls ages 10, 12, and 14 living in Portland-Gresham, Oregon.
- Physical activity was measured using accelerometers, and parent and youth surveys captured active transportation to/from school and neighborhood barriers/hazards.
Duncan, S. C., Strycker, L. A., Chaumeton, N. R., Cromley, E. K., & Duncan, S. C. (2016). Relations of Neighborhood Environment Influences, Physical Activity, and Active Transportation to / from School across African American, Latino American, and White Girls in the United States. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 23, 153–161. http://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-015-9508-9
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