Parental perceptions of neighborhood environments, BMI, and active behaviors in girls aged 7-9 years

Objectives Habitual physical activity (PA) may be influenced by a broad range of neighborhood, school, community, and family factors. Young people, particularly girls, tend to show lower habitual PA than boys and should be a target for prevention strategies aimed at healthy lifestyles. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to determine which perceived attributes about neighborhoods are related to active behaviors; (2) to analyze which perceived attributes about neighborhoods are related to body mass index (BMI) of children. Methods The sample was comprised of 1,886 girls aged 7–9 years. Height and weight were measured, and BMI was calculated subsequently. Participants were classified as normal weight or overweight/obese (Cole et al. [2000]: BMJ 320: 1240‐1243). Environmental variables and physical activities were assessed by questionnaire filled out by their parents—the Environmental Module of the International Physical Activity Prevalence Study (IPS, 2002) was used. Multiple linear regressions, with adjustments for confounding variables, were used. Results Data revealed that neighborhoods with recreational facilities and infrastructure for walking and cycling were predictors of active behaviors; neighborhood safety was an additional related factor of habitual PA. On the other hand, neighbors with better access to destinations and with interesting things to look at while walking were significantly associated with lower BMI in Portuguese children. Conclusion The study found some significant relationships between parental perceptions of the environment and BMI and habitual PA of Portuguese girls, especially related to security for walking and unpleasant neighborhoods, and access to destinations. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 26:670–675, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.