Neighborhood environments and physical activity in youth: from research to practice Jordan Carlson, PhD Center for Children s Healthy Lifestyles and Nutrition Children s Mercy Kansas City
Contributors to overall physical activity Young adolescents accumulate physical activity from multiple sources, including: School PE, afterschool Sports Home-based play/activities Neighborhood activities Active travel
Contributors to overall physical activity Young adolescents accumulate physical activity from multiple sources, including: School PE, afterschool Sports Home-based play/activities Neighborhood activities Active travel 1. How important are neighborhood activities and walking trips to overall physical activity? 2. How does the neighborhood environment impact neighborhood activities and walking trips?
Sample characteristics Participants: 574 young adolescents 12-16 years old 50% girls, 31% non-white Neighborhood Quadrants high walkability/ high income high walkability/ low income low walkability/ high income low walkability/ low income Neighborhoods: 380 census bock groups Baltimore, MD and Seattle, WA Sallis et al. 2018. Preventive Medicine.
Measuring physical activity ActiGraph 7164 physical activity monitor GlobalSat DG-100 GPS tracker Questionnaire 7 days +
Walking trips
Is overall MVPA higher on days with walking trips? 15 minutes/day (42% more) 23% of total 25% of all days
Neighborhood activity Green = Neighborhood 1 km Home is excluded
Is time spent in the neighborhood more likely to be active than time spent in other locations?
Is time spent in the neighborhood more likely to be active than time spent in other locations? 1.9 to 2.1 time more likely to engage in MVPA
Do youth compensate for neighborhood MVPA by being less active in other locations? Value below 1.0 means compensation exists
Do youth compensate for neighborhood MVPA by being less active in other locations? Value below 1.0 means compensation exists
The neighborhood is an important contributor to youth physical activity -Is this true for both high- and low-walkable neighborhoods?
Measuring the neighborhood environment GIS-based measures, which involve archival data sets that are layered and analyzed with GIS software. Direct observation measures, which are obtained through systematic audits of street segments/blocks and crossings. Questionnaires, which are administered to neighborhood residents to capture environmental perceptions (e.g., safety). https://www.nccor.org/nccor-tools/mruserguides/
Neighborhood walkability A walkable community is one where is it safe and easy to walk and where pedestrian activity is encouraged. https://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calls/walking-and-walkable-communities/ Residential density Street connectivity Mixed land use Frank et al. 2010. British Journal of Sports Medicine
Walkability Index Home Neighborhood High Walkable Low Walkable 1 km
Unpublished
Carlson et al. 2015. Health and Place.
Carlson et al. 2015. Health and Place.
Carlson et al. 2014. British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Sallis et al. 2018. Preventive Medicine.
Favorable neighborhood environment AND psychosocial attributes Wang et al. 2017. Preventive Medicine.
Neighborhood walkability is important for active living in young adolescents -Multiple levels of influence are important (e.g., neighborhood environment and psychosocial attributes)
Other aspects of the environment Safety from traffic Safety from crime Safe street crossings Sidewalk condition Aesthetics Cul-de-sacs Access to and quality of parks
From evidence to practice
http://physicalactivityplan.org/projects/ walking/walking-report-card-final.pdf
Safe Routes to School Local and regional funding opportunities Infrastructure and programming
Complete Streets policies Requires streets to be planned, designed, operated, and maintained to enable safe, convenient and comfortable travel and access for users of all ages and abilities regardless of their mode of transportation. http://www.marc.org/transportation/special- Projects/assets/CompleteStreetsPolicy_Dec2015.aspx
http://bikewalkkc.org/blog/2017/12/complete-streets-area-reason-to-feelgoodfriday/
Acknowledgements TEAN team: James Sallis Kelli Cain Jim Chapman Terry Conway Lawrence Frank Carrie Geremia Karen Glanz Jacqueline Kerr Brian Saelens NIH grant R01HL083454