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

To investigate associations between the number of physical activity facilities within walking distance of school and physical activity behavior in 12th grade girls during after-school hours.

Girls (N=1394) from 22 schools completed a self-report to determine physical activity after 3:00 p.m. The number of physical activity facilities within a 0.75-mile buffer of the school was counted with a Geographic Information System. Associations between the number of facilities and girls' physical activity were examined using linear mixed-model analysis of variance.

Overall, girls who attended schools with ≥5 facilities within the buffer reported more physical activity per day than girls in schools with <5 facilities. In addition, girls who attended rural schools with ≥5 facilities reported ∼12% more physical activity per day than girls who attended rural schools with <5 facilities. No difference existed for girls in urban/suburban schools with ≥5 vs. <5 facilities.

When school siting decisions are made, the number of physical activity facilities surrounding the school should be considered to encourage physical activity in 12th grade girls.