Associations Between Neighborhood Recreation Environments and Adolescent Physical Activity

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Environmental Health
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Parental perception of neighborhood recreation environments is crucial for understanding adolescent physical activity.
• Limited research exists on the direct relationship between perceived recreational facility availability and objective/subjective measures of adolescent physical activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between parents' perceived availability of neighborhood recreation facilities and various measures of adolescent physical activity.
• To determine if perceived environmental factors influence adolescent engagement in physical activity.

Main Methods:

• 928 adolescents (mean age 14.1 years) and their parents participated.
• Adolescent moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was measured using accelerometry and self-report.
• Parents reported the proximity of their homes to eight types of recreation facilities.

Main Results:

• Greater perceived availability of recreation facilities was linked to increased days of 60+ minutes of physical activity per week.
• Perceived facility availability correlated with higher self-reported physical activity near home and at recreation sites.
• Accelerometer-measured total MVPA and non-school MVPA were significantly higher in adolescents perceiving greater facility availability.

Conclusions:

• Adolescents residing in neighborhoods with greater perceived recreation facility availability exhibit higher physical activity across multiple indicators.
• Parental perception of neighborhood recreation environments is a significant correlate of adolescent physical activity levels.
• Enhancing neighborhood recreation infrastructure may be a viable strategy to promote adolescent physical activity.