Neighborhood environment and physical activity among young children: a cross-sectional study from Sweden

The aims of this study were to investigate the association between the neighbourhood environment and physical activity among young children in a Scandinavian setting, and to assess the influences of seasonal variations, age, sex and parental education.

Physical activity was assessed with an accelerometer and neighbourhood resources were estimated using geographic information systems for 205 Swedish children aged 4-11 years. Neighbourhood resources were generated as the sum of three neighbourhood attributes: (a) foot and bike paths, (b) non-restricted destinations and (c) recreational area, all within 300 m of each child's home. Physical activity was assessed as: (a) total volume of physical activity (i.e. counts per minute), (b) sedentary time and (c) moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The association between neighbourhood resources and physical activity was analysed using mixed linear models weighted by measurement time and adjusted for sex, age, season of activity measurement, type of housing and parental education.

Children were more physically active in areas with intermediate access to neighbourhood resources for physical activity compared to areas with worst access, while the difference between intermediate and best neighbourhood resource areas was less clear. The association between physical activity and neighbourhood resources was weaker than with seasonal variations but compatible in magnitude with sex, age, type of housing and parental education. Among specific neighbourhood attributes, the amount of foot and bike paths was associated with less sedentary time and more MVPA.

This study provides some, not entirely consistent, evidence overall for an association between the neighbourhood environment and physical activity among young children in Scandinavia.