Street Connectivity and Physical Activity in Canadian Youth
Author Information
Author(s): Graham Mecredy, William Pickett, Ian Janssen
Primary Institution: Queen’s University
Hypothesis
The study aims to examine the relationship between street connectivity and physical activity in Canadian youth.
Conclusion
Youth in neighborhoods with the most highly connected streets reported less physical activity outside of school than youth from neighborhoods with less connected streets.
Supporting Evidence
- Students in the highest street connectivity quartile were less likely to be physically active outside of school.
- 15.8% of the physical activity outcome was attributable to living in areas with lower street connectivity.
- Participants reporting high perceived neighborhood safety were more likely to be physically active.
Takeaway
Kids who live in neighborhoods with lots of connected streets tend to play outside less than those in neighborhoods with fewer connections.
Methodology
The study used data from the 2006 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey and analyzed street connectivity using geographic information systems.
Potential Biases
Potential misclassification of street connectivity exposure due to using a 5 km radius around schools as a proxy for home neighborhoods.
Limitations
The cross-sectional nature of the data limits the ability to determine causality, and there may be residual confounding from unmeasured variables.
Participant Demographics
Participants were students in grades 6-10 from publicly funded schools across Canada.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 1.10–1.35 for quartile 2, 1.13–1.37 for quartile 3, 1.09–1.34 for quartile 4
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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