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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: Characteristics of a school neighbourhood's-built environment are associated with active transport to school (ATS) among adolescents. However, little is known about the association between objectively measured and perceived built environment features in school neighbourhoods and adolescents' ATS rates. This study compared objectively measured and perceived school neighbourhood-built environment features and examined their association with ATS rates in adolescents.
Methods: Adolescents (n=95; 68% under 16 years of age; 59% female) from 11 schools located in small-to-medium size urban areas and rural settings in Otago, New Zealand participated in the Built Environment and Active Transport to School (BEATS) Rural Study. Data from adolescents who were familiar with their school neighbourhood and lived within 4.8 km of their school were analysed. Adolescents reported their perceptions of the school neighbourhood using a modified version of Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale for Youth questionnaire. Objectively measured built environment features were generated using Geographic Information Systems based spatial analysis.
Results: Compared with small-to-medium urban areas, objectively measured intersection density was higher (p=0.002), whereas neighbourhood walkability was lower (p=0.013) in rural settings. Perceived measures of school neighbourhood-built environment features, including land use mix diversity (p=0.013) and recreational facilities (p=0.015) were higher, whereas land use mix accessibility (p=0.003) was lower in rural settings compared with small-to-medium urban areas. Unadjusted significant correlates of ATS were distance to school (odds ratio (95% CI): 0.30 (0.17, 0.53)), perceived residential density (0.21 (0.07, 0.62)), neighbourhood aesthetic (0.90 (0.27, 2.89)), and traffic (0.21 (0.07, 0.79)) and personal safety concerns (10.75 (1.12, 103.56)). In a multivariate analysis that did not include distance to school, perceived residential density (0.17 (0.04, 0.82)) and traffic safety concerns (0.13 (0.02, 0.95)) were negatively associated with adolescents' ATS rates after adjusting for individual-level correlates (age and gender). Once distance to school was included in the multivariate model, it was the only significant correlate of ATS (0.27 (0.13, 0.57)) while perceived residential density and traffic safety concerns were no longer significant.
Conclusions: School neighbourhood residential and intersection density, land use mix diversity, recreational facilities, land use mix accessibility, and neighbourhood walkability differ significantly between small-to-medium urban areas and rural settings. Distance to school is also the most important determinants of ATS. Future initiatives should consider features of both objectively measured and perceived school neighbourhood-built environment to promote ATS among adolescents because different aspects of the school neighbourhood built environment are captured by the different measures.
Keywords: SR2S
Language: en |