Table 2.
Mean (SD) of environmental correlates for urban (n = 1114) and rural (n = 658) participants.
| Environmental Variables | Urban Area Mean(SD) |
Rural Area Mean (SD) |
t |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neighborhood environments a | |||
| Many shops, stores, markets, or other places to buy things I need are within easy walking distance of my home. | 3.53 (0.8) | 3.3 (1.2) | 6.29 * |
| It is within a 10- to 15-min walk to a transit stop from my home. | 3.51 (0.6) | 3.4 (0.7) | 10.12 *** |
| There are sidewalks on most of the streets in my neighbourhood. | 3.47 (0.7) | 3.48 (0.4) | 0.39 |
| There are facilities to bicycle in or near my neighborhood shared use paths for cycles and pedestrians. | 3.26 (0.8) | 3.06 (0.9) | 7.04 ** |
| My neighborhood has several free or low-cost recreation facilities. | 3.17 (0.7) | 2.95 (0.8) | 1.47 |
| The crime rate in my neighbourhood makes it unsafe to go on walks at night. | 3.21 (0.6) | 3.09 (0.1) | 6.31 * |
| There is so much traffic on the streets that it makes it difficult or unpleasant to walk in my neighborhood. | 2.96 (0.7) | 2.82 (0.7) | 1.32 |
| I see many people being physically active in my neighborhood. | 3.23 (0.7) | 3.07 (0.8) | 0.11 |
| There are many interesting things to look at while walking in my neighbourhood | 2.97 (0.8) | 2.72 (0.8) | 6.88 ** |
| How many motor vehicles in working order are there at your household? c | 1.53 (0.8) | 1.26 (0.7) | 4.33 * |
| Physical home environments b | |||
| There is a TV or a computer in the child’s room. | 1.58 (1.0) | 1.50 (0.5) | 0.10 |
| We limit the length of time spent watching TV, smartphones, tablets, and computers. | 1.22 (0.4) | 1.27 (0.4) | 22.16 *** |
| How many media devices (TV, smartphones, tablets, and computers) are available at home? c | 6.02 (2.3) | 5.65 (2.1) | 4.33 * |
| Social-culture home environments a | |||
| We limit the place or method of outdoor play as we worry about potential injuries. | 1.70 (0.9) | 1.52 (0.8) | 12.29 *** |
| Academic abilities are more important than physical development through outdoor play. | 3.61 (1.1) | 3.56 (1.1) | 2.89 * |
| Other people, such as siblings, friends, and coaches, should be present for my child’s outdoor play. | 2.29 (1.0) | 2.19 (0.9) | 6.57 ** |
a: Response option: strongly disagree (1), somewhat disagree (2), somewhat agree (3), strongly agree (4). b: Response option: yes (1), no (2). * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001. SD: standard deviation. Group differences for continuous variables were assessed using t-tests.