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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: We examined the relationship between parents' perception of neighborhood safety and children's physical activity and use of recreation facility in a U.S. nationally representative sample of 5th grade children.
METHODS: We used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten cohort, 5th grade sample (N=9,827). Multivariate logistic and linear regression models were used to examine associations between parents' perception of neighborhood safety for outside play and number of days children engage in physical activity, as well as children's use of recreational facilities for physical activity.
RESULTS: Children who used recreational facilities engaged in physical activity on more days of the week compared to children who did not use a facility (3.3 vs. 3.8 days, p<.0001). Children from neighborhood perceived as unsafe by parents engaged in almost 1 less day per week in physical activity (β=-0.89, p<0.0001). Children from neighborhoods perceived as unsafe were less likely to use recreational facilities compared to children from neighborhoods perceived as safe (OR=0.72, p<0.0001). Children from less affluent families across rural and urban areas had half the odds of using recreational facilities compared with children from the wealthiest families living in urban areas.
CONCLUSIONS: Parents' perception of neighborhood safety for outside play can deter or promote children's physical activity and use of recreational facilities. Children from less affluent families are less likely to use facilities than children from wealthy families, regardless of place of residence.
Language: en |