Environmental Correlates of Physical Activity among Children, Adolescents, and Parents

• Author / Creator

  Hunter, Stephen G.S

• Background: Most Canadians are inactive. Given insufficient physical activity is linked to multiple chronic diseases and mortality, increasing physical activity has become a public health priority. To inform future interventions, modifiable correlates and determinants of physical activity need to be identified. Local, national, and international policy documents have highlighted the importance of creating active living environments that promote regular physical activity. While several behvioural settings exist, neighbourhoods provide opportunities for both structured and unstructured physical activity opportunities for multiple ages. However, before modifying existing environments or developing new active living environments, it is first important to consider the features that promote physical activity. Further, for active living environments to have a sustainable impact, identifying features that promote physical activity across multiple ages groups is important. Therefore, the overall purpose of this dissertation is to identify environmental correlates of physical activity across multiple age groups (preschool children, school-aged children, adolescents, adults) within the neighbourhood setting.
  Methods: Three studies were conducted. In study one, parents were surveyed regarding the features of their neighbourhood environment that they perceived as important to their own physical activity as well as their children’s physical activity and parent-child coactivity. In study two, associations of objectively measured walkability and parental perceptions of the environment with children’s physical activity (i.e., daily step counts, parent reported physical activity) were examined using data from the SHAPES of Things to Come project. In study three, the longitudinal associations between the objectively measured built environment surrounding schools and self-reported physical activity and active mode of transport among adolescents were examined using data from the COMPASS project.
  Results: In study 1, several neighbourhood features, related to destinations, design, social, safety and aesthetics, were identified by the majority of parents as important for their own physical activity, their child’s active play, and parent-child coactivity. There were several significant differences in the proportions of parents who identified features as relevant between activity types (parent physical activity, child active play, parent-child coactivity). Few differences were observed by household income. In study two, objectively measured walkability was not associated with children’s steps or parent reported physical activity. However, significant associations were observed for neighbourhood aesthetics and traffic hazards with parental reported physical activity, along with walking and cycling infrastructure during the winter months. In study 3, significant associations were observed between retail-, park-, and recreation center- densities along with Walk Scores in the school neighbourhood environment with adolescent MVPA and active school travel. Students attending schools in environments considered very walkable had an increased likelihood of active school travel and maintained higher MVPA over time.
  Conclusion: Across all three studies, there is evidence to suggest features that support walking is important for preschool children’s active play, parents’ recreational physical activity and coactivity with their children, along with school-aged children’s parent reported physical activity, and adolescent’s self-reported active school travel and MVPA. Finding ways to incorporate features that support walking into home and school neighbourhoods could promote physical activity across age groups. More longitudinal research that accounts for behavioural and context-specificity, multiple activity settings and their characteristics, and intra- and inter- personal characteristics is needed

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Neighbourhoods
  • Early Years
  • Teenagers
  • Youth
  • Walkability
  • Active Transport
  • Coactivity

• Graduation date

  Fall 2022

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Doctor of Philosophy

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-yrh4-3m59

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Library with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.