Abstract
Objective
A child’s opportunity for physical activity and the safety of engaging in activity are influenced by built environment (BE) elements. This study examined the relationship of neighbourhood type and socio-economic status (SES) with activity using a sampling frame that purposely located schools in varying neighbourhoods to ensure that there was variability in BE characteristics and SES.
Methods
Participants (1,027 Grade 5 & 6 students, Toronto, ON) were drawn from 16 schools that varied by neighbourhood type (pre-1946 “old/urban BE” with grid-based street layout versus post-1946 “new/inner-suburban BE” with looping street layout) and socio-economic status (low and high SES). Physical activity was recorded by accelerometry for seven days. Only children living within 1.6 km of school were included in the analyses (n=713; boys=339, girls=374). Generalized linear mixed models examined sex-specific differences in physical activity across four geographic stratifications: old BE, low-SES (OL); old BE, high-SES (OH); new BE, low-SES (NL); and new BE, high-SES (NH).
Results
Children who attended schools in more affluent neighbourhoods (urban and inner-suburban) had more positive physical activity profiles. Across school days, boys were more active in inner-suburban neighbourhoods whereas urban and inner-suburban girls’ activity levels were similar. On the weekend, the influence of the neighbourhood environment was stronger, especially for girls and also for boys with respect to total activity and the accumulation of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
Conclusion
These findings focus attention on the need to consider the broader social and temporal contexts of specific geographic locations when planning and implementing built environment interventions to increase physical activity among children.
Key words: Accelerometer, child, built environment, physical activity
Mots clés: accéléromètre, enfant, milieu bâti, activité physique
Résumé
Objectif
Les occasions pour un enfant de faire de l’activité physique et la possibilité de le faire en toute sécurité sont influencées par les éléments du milieu bâti (MB). Notre étude porte sur la relation entre le type de quartier, le statut socioéconomique (SSE) et l’activité; la base d’échantillonnage utilisée contenait volontairement des écoles de divers quartiers pour assurer la variabilité des caractéristiques du MB et du SSE.
Méthode
Les participants (1 027 élèves de 5e et de 6e année à Toronto, en Ontario) ont été choisis dans 16 écoles qui variaient selon le type de quartier («MB ancien/urbain» d’avant 1946 avec rues quadrillées ou «MB nouveau/de la proche banlieue» d’après 1946 avec rues en boucles) et le statut socioéconomique (SSE faible ou élevé). L’activité physique a été enregistrée par accélérométrie pendant sept jours. Seuls les enfants vivant à moins de 1,6 km de l’école ont été inclus dans l’analyse (n=71 3; garçons=339, filles=374). Au moyen de modèles linéaires mixtes généralisés, nous avons examiné les différences par sexe dans l’activité physique entre quatre stratifications géographiques: MB ancien, faible SSE; MB ancien, SSE élevé; MB nouveau, faible SSE; et MB nouveau, SSE élevé.
Résultats
Les enfants qui fréquentaient les écoles des quartiers aisés (urbains et de la proche banlieue) avaient des profils d’activité physique plus positifs. Les jours d’école, les garçons des quartiers de la proche banlieue étaient plus actifs, tandis que les niveaux d’activité des filles étaient semblables en milieu urbain et dans la proche banlieue. Les fins de semaine, l’influence de l’environnement du quartier était plus forte, surtout chez les filles, mais aussi chez les garçons en ce qui a trait à l’activité totale et à l’accumulation d’activité physique modérée à vigoureuse.
Conclusion
Ces résultats montrent qu’il faut examiner le contexte social et temporel des lieux géographiques lorsqu’on planifie et que l’on met en œuvre des interventions sur le milieu bâti pour accroître l’activité physique chez les enfants.
Footnotes
Acknowledgements: This research was funded by the Built Environment, Obesity and Health Strategic Initiative of the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Conflict of Interest: None to declare
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