Abstract
Objective
To study the importance of parents’ perception of neighbourhood environment for health behaviours such as screen time, physical activity, and active transport in a Canadian context.
Methods
As part of the REAL Kids Alberta project, 3,421 grade five students from 148 randomly selected schools in Alberta and their parents were surveyed in the spring of 2008. Physical activity was assessed by self-report using an adapted version of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). Screen time and active transport (walking and biking) was assessed by parent proxy reports. Parents were also surveyed on their perception of their neighbourhoods. These responses were reduced to three components (satisfaction/services, safety, sidewalks/parks) through principal component analysis. Subsequent multilevel logistic regression analyses were conducted to quantify the associations of these principal neighbourhood components with screen time, physical activity, and active transport.
Results
Children residing in neighbourhoods with good satisfaction/services and sidewalks/parks were significantly more likely to engage in 2 hours or less of screen time and to be physically active. Children in neighbourhoods with good sidewalks/parks were also more likely to engage in active transport to and from school. However, perceived neighbourhood safety had little impact on activity.
Conclusion
The findings suggest physical activity and active transport may be increased and sedentary behaviours reduced through 1) increasing access to parks, playgrounds, and play spaces, 2) increasing access to sports and recreation programs, and 3) provision of sidewalks such that children and youth can walk or bike to school.
Key words: Obesity, childhood obesity, neighbourhood environment, screen time, physical activity, active transport, public health
Résumé
Objectif
Étudier l’importance de la perception parentale de l’environnement du quartier pour des comportements liés à la santé (le temps d’écran, l’activité physique, les transports actifs) dans un contexte canadien.
Méthode
Dans le cadre du projet REAL Kids Alberta, nous avons sondé 3 421 élèves de 5e année de 148 écoles de l’Alberta sélectionnées au hasard, ainsi que leurs parents, au printemps 2008. Le niveau d’activité physique a été auto-évalué par les sujets à l’aide d’une version modifiée du questionnaire PAQ-C (Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children). Le temps d’écran et les transports actifs (marche et bicyclette) ont été évalués par procuration par les parents. Nous avons également demandé aux parents quelle était leur perception de leur quartier. Ces réponses ont été réduites à trois composantes (satisfaction/services, sécurité, trottoirs/parcs) au moyen d’une analyse en composantes principales. Des analyses de régression logistique multiniveaux subséquentes ont été menées pour chiffrer les associations entre ces composantes principales du quartier et le temps d’écran, l’activité physique et les transports actifs.
Résultats
Les enfants qui vivaient dans les quartiers bien cotés pour la satisfaction/les services et les trottoirs/les parcs étaient significativement plus susceptibles de limiter leur temps d’écran à deux heures ou moins et d’être actifs. Les enfants des quartiers ayant de bons trottoirs/parcs étaient aussi plus susceptibles de faire l’aller-retour à l’école en marchant ou à bicyclette. Cependant, la perception de la sécurité du quartier avait peu d’incidence sur le niveau d’activité.
Conclusion
Ces résultats laissent entendre que l’on pourrait augmenter l’activité physique et les transports actifs et réduire les comportements sédentaires: 1) en facilitant l’accès aux parcs, aux terrains de jeu et aux aires de jeu, 2) en facilitant l’accès aux programmes de sports et de loisirs et 3) en construisant des trottoirs pour que les enfants et les adolescents puissent se rendre à l’école en marchant ou à bicyclette.
Mots clés: obésité, obésité de l’enfance, environnement du quartier, temps d’écran, exercice physique, transports actifs, santé publique
Footnotes
This research was funded through a contract with Alberta Health and Wellness and through a Canada Research Chair in Population Health and Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Health Scholarship to Dr. Paul J. Veugelers. Valerie Carson was supported by a CIHR - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship - Master’s Award. All interpretations and opinions expressed in the current study are those of the authors.
Conflict of Interest: None to declare.
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