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A longitudinal study of associations between the local road environment and physical activity among youth
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Abstracts / Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 12 (2010) e1–e232
In contrast to the draft recommendations, 10% of parents did not believe young children need some planned physically active play every day and 11% did not agree that time spent in places that restrict movement (e.g. in highchairs and bouncers) should be limited. While the draft guidelines recommend no television viewing for children under the age of 2 years, 71% of parents believed infants and toddlers should be allowed to watch television. The majority of parents surveyed also believed infants and toddlers could learn from watching television (74%), that television is helpful for development (66%), useful for keeping young children occupied (64%) and educational (54%). Parents without a tertiary education and those who watched more television themselves were more likely to believe television is educational for babies and toddlers, helpful for their development and that babies and toddlers should be allowed to watch television. Conclusions: Results from this study indicate that parents are likely to agree with the physical activity component of the draft Australian Physical Activity Recommendations for 0–5 year olds. However, additional education is likely to be necessary to improve parental knowledge regarding the suitability of television viewing for young children. This education should be targeted in particular at parents with less formal education and those who engage in excessive television viewing themselves. doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2009.10.416 416 A longitudinal study of associations between the local road environment and physical activity among youth A. Carver ∗ , A. Timperio, K. Hesketh, D. Crawford Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, Deakin University Purpose: To examine how objective measures of the road environment are associated with change over two years in active transport (AT) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among youth. Most studies have examined perceptions rather than objective measures of road safety in relation to this and are cross-sectional. Methods: Longitudinal study of children aged 8–9 years (n = 166) and adolescents aged 13–15 years (n = 265) at baseline, in Melbourne. Walking/cycling to local destinations was survey-reported, while MVPA during non-school hours was recorded using accelerometers. Periods of interest were: before school; after school: evenings; total non-school hours on weekdays; weekend days. Changes in AT and MVPA over two years were calculated. Road environment features in each participant’s neighbourhood (within 800 m radius of home) were measured objectively using a Geographical Information System (GIS). Linear regression analyses were performed to examine how safety-related features of the road environment were associated with changes in AT and MVPA.
Results: Children’s AT increased, but MVPA levels decreased in both age-groups over two years, with younger girls recording the greatest declines. For younger boys there were no significant associations between road environment measures and AT. For younger girls, the number of traffic/pedestrian lights in the neighbourhood was associated with AT (B = 0.45, p = 0.004). The total length of walking tracks (km) was associated with AT among younger girls (B = 1.56, p = 0.015) and among adolescent girls (B = 1.58, p = 0.002). For adolescent boys, intersection density was associated with AT (B = 0.03, p = 0.030). For younger boys, slow points (chicanes) were associated with MVPA before school (B = 1.55, p = 0.021), while total length of local roads (B = 3.81, p = 010) and intersection density (B = 0.49, p = 0.007) were associated with MVPA on weekends. For adolescent boys, speed humps were associated with MVPA after school (B = 0.23, p = 0.015). There were many associations with MVPA among adolescent girls: total length of local roads (B = 0.21, p = 0.002), intersection density (B = 0.03, p = 0.006) and traffic/pedestrian lights (B = 0.28, p = 0.019) were associated with MVPA before school; numbers of speed humps (B = 0.15, p = 0.012) and gates/barriers (B = 1.05, p = 0.007) were associated with MVPA during evenings; the total length of local roads (B = 0.49, p = 0.005), intersection density (B = 0.05, p = 0.036) and number of speed humps (B = 0.33, p = 0.020) were associated with MVPA during non-school hours. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that safety-related aspects of the built environment are conducive to physical activity among youth and may help stem age-related declines in physical activity. Passive road safety interventions may promote AT and physical activity among less active girls, in particular. doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2009.10.417
Abstracts / Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 12 (2010) e1–e232
In contrast to the draft recommendations, 10% of parents did not believe young children need some planned physically active play every day and 11% did not agree that time spent in places that restrict movement (e.g. in highchairs and bouncers) should be limited. While the draft guidelines recommend no television viewing for children under the age of 2 years, 71% of parents believed infants and toddlers should be allowed to watch television. The majority of parents surveyed also believed infants and toddlers could learn from watching television (74%), that television is helpful for development (66%), useful for keeping young children occupied (64%) and educational (54%). Parents without a tertiary education and those who watched more television themselves were more likely to believe television is educational for babies and toddlers, helpful for their development and that babies and toddlers should be allowed to watch television. Conclusions: Results from this study indicate that parents are likely to agree with the physical activity component of the draft Australian Physical Activity Recommendations for 0–5 year olds. However, additional education is likely to be necessary to improve parental knowledge regarding the suitability of television viewing for young children. This education should be targeted in particular at parents with less formal education and those who engage in excessive television viewing themselves. doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2009.10.416 416 A longitudinal study of associations between the local road environment and physical activity among youth A. Carver ∗ , A. Timperio, K. Hesketh, D. Crawford Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, Deakin University Purpose: To examine how objective measures of the road environment are associated with change over two years in active transport (AT) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among youth. Most studies have examined perceptions rather than objective measures of road safety in relation to this and are cross-sectional. Methods: Longitudinal study of children aged 8–9 years (n = 166) and adolescents aged 13–15 years (n = 265) at baseline, in Melbourne. Walking/cycling to local destinations was survey-reported, while MVPA during non-school hours was recorded using accelerometers. Periods of interest were: before school; after school: evenings; total non-school hours on weekdays; weekend days. Changes in AT and MVPA over two years were calculated. Road environment features in each participant’s neighbourhood (within 800 m radius of home) were measured objectively using a Geographical Information System (GIS). Linear regression analyses were performed to examine how safety-related features of the road environment were associated with changes in AT and MVPA.
Results: Children’s AT increased, but MVPA levels decreased in both age-groups over two years, with younger girls recording the greatest declines. For younger boys there were no significant associations between road environment measures and AT. For younger girls, the number of traffic/pedestrian lights in the neighbourhood was associated with AT (B = 0.45, p = 0.004). The total length of walking tracks (km) was associated with AT among younger girls (B = 1.56, p = 0.015) and among adolescent girls (B = 1.58, p = 0.002). For adolescent boys, intersection density was associated with AT (B = 0.03, p = 0.030). For younger boys, slow points (chicanes) were associated with MVPA before school (B = 1.55, p = 0.021), while total length of local roads (B = 3.81, p = 010) and intersection density (B = 0.49, p = 0.007) were associated with MVPA on weekends. For adolescent boys, speed humps were associated with MVPA after school (B = 0.23, p = 0.015). There were many associations with MVPA among adolescent girls: total length of local roads (B = 0.21, p = 0.002), intersection density (B = 0.03, p = 0.006) and traffic/pedestrian lights (B = 0.28, p = 0.019) were associated with MVPA before school; numbers of speed humps (B = 0.15, p = 0.012) and gates/barriers (B = 1.05, p = 0.007) were associated with MVPA during evenings; the total length of local roads (B = 0.49, p = 0.005), intersection density (B = 0.05, p = 0.036) and number of speed humps (B = 0.33, p = 0.020) were associated with MVPA during non-school hours. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that safety-related aspects of the built environment are conducive to physical activity among youth and may help stem age-related declines in physical activity. Passive road safety interventions may promote AT and physical activity among less active girls, in particular. doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2009.10.417