Citation

Monsur M, Mansur M, Islam MZ. Prev. Med. 2017; 103(Suppl 1): S73-S80.

Affiliation

Department of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka - 1000, Bangladesh.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.11.016

PMID

27939267

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate relationships between near-home street patterns and children's time spent outdoors (TSO). Participants were 60 (n=60) school-age Dhaka children, 7-11years old (16 girls and 44 boys) selected by a two-phase cluster sampling method. Data were collected from September 2010 to June 2011 by visiting each of 60 children's homes. Children's mean TSOs (in minutes) were reported by parents' face-to-face interviews, and near-home street pattern data were collected by systematic direct observations. The researchers also collected data on seven socio-demographic variables and three neighborhood built-environment variables. A backward selection based multiple linear regression was used to examine association between Children's TSO and near-home street patterns.

RESULTS (adjusted R(2)=0.66 for weekdays and 0.68 for weekend) suggested that children's TSO were significantly associated with near-home street type: dead-end instead of through streets (28min on weekdays, p<0.01 and 66min on weekend, p<0.01). The width of the street, level of its branching and availability of an open space or playground near the house are also positively associated with TSO. Near-home street features significantly contribute to TSO in school-going children of Dhaka.

Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Language: en