Environmental supportiveness for physical activity in English schoolchildren: a study using Global Positioning...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Public Health
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Environmental factors are increasingly recognized as crucial determinants of physical activity levels in children and adults.
• Children's autonomy is limited, making supportive neighborhood environments vital for their physical activity.
• Understanding the specific environments children utilize for physical activity is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the characteristics of environments used by children for bouts of continuous moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA).
• To investigate the relationship between environmental settings and physical activity in a sample of English schoolchildren.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a convenience sample of 100 children (9-10 years old) from the SPEEDY cohort.
• Employed accelerometry and global positioning system (GPS) technologies over four consecutive days.
• Matched accelerometry data to GPS locations, identified MVPA bouts (≥5 minutes), and analyzed bout locations against a detailed landcover dataset in a GIS.

Main Results:

• Boys engaged in more MVPA (20 min/day) than girls (11 min/day).
• Children spending more time outdoors were more active, particularly girls and rural children.
• Urban children predominantly used gardens (28%) and streets (20%) for MVPA, while rural children used farmland (22%) and grassland (18%).
• 63% of MVPA occurred within neighborhoods, though boys and rural children were more likely to be active outside their immediate vicinity.

Conclusions:

• Developed a novel methodology to identify environments supporting children's physical activity.
• Emphasized the significance of urban gardens, greenspaces, and safe street environments for children's activity.
• Highlighted the need for accessible and supportive environments to promote physical activity in children.