Are neighborhood characteristics associated with physical activity levels among school children?

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of insufficient physical activity (IPA) and neighborhood characteristics associated with it, among school children. The impact of sociodemographic characteristics and ownership of electronic devices on physical activity (PA) were also evaluated. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out among 5-7th grade students attending schools and their parents. IPA was defined as having moderate-vigorous activity for <60 minutes per week. Sociodemographic factors, ownership of electronic devices and characteristics of the neighborhoods were also evaluated. Results: A total of 334 students participated in the study. The prevalence of IPA was 79.3% (95%CI:75.0-83.7%). IPA was associated with ownership of mobile phones (OR:1.96, 95%CI:1.01-3.78), not being a member of a sports team (OR:2.83, 95%CI:1.21-6.58) and having ≤1 day of physical education classes at school (OR:2.10, 95%CI:1.08-4.09). Neighborhood characteristics were not associated with IPA (p>0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of IPA is alarmingly high among school children. The impact of neighborhood characteristics on PA might be obscured since both variables were measured subjectively. Devices related information/communication technologies increase IPA; we need to find novel ways to use these devices for PA promotion. There is also a need to increase structured PA opportunities.