Do physical activity facilities near schools affect physical activity in high school girls?

Multilevel correlates of domain-specific physical activity among rural adults - a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Increasing physical activity (PA) in rural communities is a vital prevention tactic in multiple chronic diseases; however, little is known on the multilevel correlates of PA rural areas. A better understanding of domain-specific PA adds context for promoting PA in rural communities. The current study sought to determine factors associated with domain-specific and overall moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in rural communities.

METHODS

Surveys were conducted across 14 rural mid-Western communities, with the final analytical sample including 1241 adults (ages 19-96, M = 57.0 [SD = 16.7], 67.8% female, 83.8% white). Generalized linear models with negative binomial distributions examined the relation between demographics, trail use, and perceptions of the neighborhood environment, with domain-specific and overall MVPA, measured via the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Rural residents reported an average of 617 total minutes of weekly MVPA (SD = 1141), with 58.5% meeting MVPA guidelines. Higher age, female gender, and higher educated individuals had lower levels of overall and occupational MVPA. Females, higher education, and perceived indoor recreational access were associated with lower levels of transportation-related MVPA, while trail use was associated with increased transportation MVPA. Higher age and female gender respondents had lower levels of recreational MVPA, while trail users and those who perceived favorable indoor recreational access had higher levels of recreational MVPA.

CONCLUSIONS

PA primarily occurred in the occupational domain among this sample of rural mid-Western adults. Findings highlight the need for multilevel interventions to address PA across multiple domains in rural communities, especially among females and older adults.

Process evaluation and challenges in collecting data from an after-school sports and literacy program in a diverse, low-income community

BACKGROUND

To understand how programs succeed we must evaluate them. The purpose of this paper was to examine the intervention and evaluation processes and identify areas of success and challenges in delivering and evaluating the Reflective Educational Approach to Character and Health (REACH) after-school program in a low SES community.

METHODS

Sixty-six fifth and sixth graders from two schools participated. Data were collected at the intervention and control schools at four time points over the year. Data collected at baseline (Aug/Sep 2016), and Time 4 (May, 2017) were used for the analysis. Reach and fidelity to the intervention were assessed along with information on the process of data collection for variables of interest (e.g., accelerometer-measured physical activity level, FITNESSGRAM tests, vertical jump, and literacy). Missing data were imputed and a 2(School) by 2(Time) mixed factorial ANOVA was performed to examine the efficacy of the intervention.

RESULTS

There were no significant time by school interactions for any of the outcomes assessed. There were several challenges in evaluating the program such as low compliance to wearing the accelerometer, lack of effort during literacy tests, peers affecting effort on physical tests, and missing data.

CONCLUSIONS

We posit that research implementation be re-examined in community-based research that is conducted with students at the elementary level in low-income communities. Future research should engage with youth in the data collection process to make it a meaningful experience for them and to possibly reduce attrition from the program.

Rural Active Living: A Call to Action

Rural residents are less physically active than their urban counterparts and disproportionately affected by chronic diseases and conditions associated with insufficient activity. While the ecological model has been successful in promoting and translating active living research in urban settings, relatively little research has been conducted in rural settings. The resulting research gap prohibits a comprehensive understanding and application of solutions for active living in rural America. Therefore, the purpose of this article was to assess the evidence base for an ecological model of active living for rural populations and outline key scientific gaps that inhibit the development and application of solutions. Specifically, we reexamined the 4 domains conceptualized by the model and suggest that there is a dearth of research specific to rural communities across all areas of the framework. Considering the limited rural-specific efforts, we propose areas that need addressing to mobilize rural active living researchers and practitioners into action.

Physical Activity Design Guidelines for School Architecture

Increasing children's physical activity at school is a national focus in the U.S. to address childhood obesity. While research has demonstrated associations between aspects of school environments and students' physical activity, the literature currently lacks a synthesis of evidence to serve as a practical, spatially-organized resource for school designers and decision-makers, as well as to point to pertinent research opportunities. This paper describes the development of a new practical tool: Physical Activity Design Guidelines for School Architecture. Its aims are to provide architects and designers, as well as school planners, educators, and public health professionals, with strategies for making K-12 school environments conducive to healthy physical activity, and to engage scientists in transdisciplinary perspectives toward improved knowledge of the school environment's impact. We used a qualitative review process to develop evidence-based and theory-driven school design guidelines that promote increased physical activity among students. The design guidelines include specific strategies in 10 school design domains. Implementation of the guidelines is expected to enable students to adopt healthier physical activity behaviors. The tool bridges a translational gap between research and environmental design practice, and may contribute to setting new industry and education standards.

Spatial accessibility to specific sport facilities and corresponding sport practice: the RECORD Study

BACKGROUND

Physical activity is considered as a major component of a healthy lifestyle. However, few studies have examined the relationships between the spatial accessibility to sport facilities and sport practice with a sufficient degree of specificity. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between the spatial accessibility to specific types of sports facilities and the practice of the corresponding sports after carefully controlling for various individual socio-demographic characteristics and neighborhood socioeconomic variables.

METHODS

Data from the RECORD Study involving 7290 participants recruited in 2007-2008, aged 30-79 years, and residing in the Paris metropolitan area were analyzed. Four categories of sports were studied: team sports, racket sports, swimming and related activities, and fitness. Spatial accessibility to sport facilities was measured with two complementary approaches that both take into account the street network (distance to the nearest facility and count of facilities around the dwelling). Associations between the spatial accessibility to sport facilities and the practice of the corresponding sports were assessed using multilevel logistic regression after adjusting for individual and contextual characteristics.

RESULTS

High individual education and high household income were associated with the practice of racket sports, swimming or related activities, and fitness over the previous 7 days. The spatial accessibility to swimming pools was associated with swimming and related sports, even after adjustment for individual/contextual factors. The spatial accessibility to facilities was not related to the practice of other sports. High neighborhood income was associated with the practice of a racket sport and fitness.

CONCLUSIONS

Accessibility is a multi-dimensional concept that integrates educational, financial, and geographical aspects. Our work supports the evidence that strategies to increase participation in sport activities should improve the spatial and financial access to specific facilities, but also address educational disparities in sport practice.

A multilevel examination of factors of the school environment and time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity among a sample of secondary school students in grades 9-12 in Ontario, Canada

OBJECTIVE

To examine associations between students' time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and the school built environment while also considering features of the schools' social environment and student-level characteristics.

METHODS

Using surveys and GIS measures, multilevel linear regression analysis was applied to examine the environment- and student-level characteristics associated with time spent in MVPA among grade 9-12 students (n = 22,117) attending 76 secondary schools in Ontario, Canada as part of the SHAPES-Ontario study.

RESULTS

Statistically significant between-school random variation in student MVPA was identified [[Formula: see text] = 9,065.22 (250.64)]; school-level differences accounted for 3.0% of the variability in student MVPA. Students attending a school that offered daily physical education or provided an alternate room for physical activity spent more time in MVPA than students attending a school without these resources. Moreover, as land-use mix diversity and walkability of the school neighbourhood increased, students' time spent in MVPA decreased.

CONCLUSION

Developing a better understanding of the environment- and student-level characteristics associated with students' time spent in MVPA is critical for informing school-based physical activity intervention programmes and policies.

A multilevel examination of gender differences in the association between features of the school environment and physical activity among a sample of grades 9 to 12 students in Ontario, Canada

Background

Creating school environments that support student physical activity (PA) is a key recommendation of policy-makers to increase youth PA. Given males are more active than females at all ages, it has been suggested that investigating gender differences in the features of the environment that associate with PA may help to inform gender-focused PA interventions and reduce the gender disparity in PA. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to explore gender differences in the association between factors of the school environment and students' time spent in PA.

Methods

Among a sample of 10781 female and 10973 male students in grades 9 to 12 from 76 secondary schools in Ontario, Canada, student- and school-level survey PA data were collected and supplemented with GIS-derived measures of the built environment within 1-km buffers of the 76 schools.

Results

Findings from the present study revealed significant differences in the time male and female students spent in PA as well as in some of the school- and student-level factors associated with PA. Results of the gender-specific multilevel analyses indicate schools should consider providing an alternate room for PA, especially for providing flexibility activities directed at female students. Schools should also consider offering daily physical education programming to male students in senior grades and providing PA promotion initiatives targeting obese male students.

Conclusions

Although most variation in male and female students' time spent in PA lies between students within schools, there is sufficient between-school variation to be of interest to practitioners and policy-makers. More research investigating gender differentials in environment factors associated with youth PA are warranted.