Table 4. Associations Between Characteristics of the Built Environment in School Neighborhoods and Physical Activity Outcomes Among Girls (n = 484), New York City, 2012.
| Variable | Model No.a | Total Crimeb | Public Transportation Densityc | Walkabilityd | Park Accesse | Between- School Variation Explained,f % | Devianceg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
β (Standard Error)h [P Value] | |||||||
| Physical Activity Outcomes | |||||||
| Physical activity frequencyi | 3 | −0.233 (0.251) [.37] | −0.200 (0.433) [.65] | 0.880 (0.553) [.37] | 0.360 (0.230) [.14] | 16 | 2304 |
| Light | 3 | −0.059 (0.102) [.57] | 0.077 (0.174) [.67] | 0.232 (0.266) [.40] | 0.189 (0.927) [.06] | 11 | 1302 |
| 4 | — | — | 0.208 (0.243) [.40] | 0.188 (0.085) [.04] | 21 | 1302 | |
| Medium | 3 | −0.055 (0.109) [.62] | −0.123 (0.188) [.52] | 0.111 (0.289) [.71] | 0.622 (0.100) [.54] | NS | 1428 |
| Heavy | 3 | −0.023 (0.200) [.76] | −0.040 (0.139) [.78] | 0.221 (0.200) [.29] | 0.049 (0.070) [.50] | NS | 1483 |
| Physical activity durationj | 3 | −0.407 (0.277) [.16] | −0.033 (0.493) [.95] | 0.578 (0.761) [.46] | 0.046 (0.262) [.86] | NS | 2281 |
| Light | 3 | −0.133 (0.102) [.29] | −0.027 (0.181) [.88] | 0.058 (0.278) [.84] | 0.105 (0.096) [.29] | 4.0 | 1421 |
| Medium | 3 | −0.159 (0.098) [.12] | 0.153 (0.171) [.39] | 0.338 (0.262) [.22] | 0.029 (0.090) [.76] | NS | 1373 |
| Heavy | 3 | −0.037 (0.096) [.57] | −0.004 (0.016) [.98] | 0.116 (0.240) [.64] | 0.048 (0.082) [.57] | NS | 1454 |
| Psychosocial Factors | |||||||
| Self-efficacy of walking for exercisek | 3 | −0.074 (0.056) [.19] | −0.021 (0.083) [.69] | 0.267 (0.136) [.03] | −0.027 (0.045) [.36] | 69 | 1219 |
| 4 | −0.066 (0.050) [.21] | — | 0.290 (0.127) [.04] | — | 97 | 1218 | |
| Self-efficacy of walking or biking instead of taking a car, bus, or subway to schoolk | 3 | −0.193 (0.095) [.06] | −0.106 (0.155) [.51] | 0.346 (0.249) [.18] | −0.038 (0.088) [.68] | 21 | 1455 |
| 4 | −0.204 (0.086) [.03] | — | 0.373 (0.230) [.12] | — | 40 | 1455 | |
| Behavioral intention for physical activityl | 3 | −0.105 (0.073) [.17] | −0.1907 (0.121) [.14] | 0.364 (0.185) [.07] | 0.028 (0.062) [.66] | 55 | 1202 |
| 4 | −0.152 (0.069) [.04] | — | 0.303 (0.002) [.12] | — | 49 | 1205 | |
| Habit strength for physical activityl | 3 | −0.134 (0.074) [.09] | 0.132 (0.116) [.91] | 0.289 (0.168) [.11] | 0.128 (0.044) [.04] | 91 | 1465 |
| 4 | — | — | 0.126 (0.056) [.05] | 51 | 1460 | ||
Abbreviations: —, variable was not included in the model; NS, nonsignificant.
Model 3 is the full model, which uses all 4 built environment characteristics of interest and controls for age and body mass index z score. Model 4 is the reduced model, which was constructed by using stepwise exclusion of nonsignificant effects from model 3.
Total crime index was personal crime, murder, rape, robbery, assault, property crime, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft, where 100 represents the national average.
Counts of all unique bus and subway stops divided by the total enrollment zone area in square kilometers.
Sum of z scores of land use mix, intersection density, residential population density, and retail floor area density, ranging from −14.19 to 13.20. A higher score on the index represents a neighborhood more likely to support walking.
Proportion of school neighborhood (enrollment zone) land area covered by parks and playgrounds, ranging from 0 to 1.
Percentage of variation in mean physical activity behaviors and psychosocial factors explained by neighborhood-level built environment characteristics, calculated as (between-school variation from model 1 minus between-school variation from model 3 OR model 4) divided by between-school variation from model 1. Model 1 examined the between-school variation in individual students’ physical activity behaviors and psychosocial factors without any explanatory variables.
Deviance is defined as minus twice the natural logarithm of the likelihood and is used an indicator of model fit.
β coefficient (standard error) estimated for a difference equivalent to a 1 interquartile range (75th percentile minus 25th percentile) change.
Assessed with the questions: light intensity, “In the past week, I did things that got me up and moving”; medium intensity, “In the past week, I did things that made my heart beat a little faster”; and heavy intensity, “In the past week, I did things that got my heart beating really fast.”
Assessed with the questions: light duration, “How long each time did I do things that got me up and moving?”; medium duration, “How long each time did I do things that made my heart beat a little faster?”; and heavy duration, “How long each time did I do things that got my heart beating really fast?”
Assessed with the question “I am sure I can walk for exercise” and “I am sure I can walk or bike to school instead of taking a car, bus or subway.”
Assessed with the question “I would like to do more physical activity” and “When I think about myself, physical activity is part of my daily routine.”