Associations between children’s independent mobility and physical activity

BMC Public Health

Matthew Browne³  Melody Oliver²  Hannah M Badland¹  Mitch J Duncan⁴  Stephanie Schoeppe⁴ 

[1] The University of Melbourne, McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing, 207 Bouverie Street, Carlton, VIC 3010, Australia;Auckland University of Technology, Human Potential Centre, Mail #A-24, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1020, New Zealand;Central Queensland University, School of Human, Health and Social Sciences, University Drive, Branyan, Bundaberg QLD 4670, Australia;Central Queensland University, School of Human, Health and Social Sciences, Centre for Physical Activity Studies, Building 18, Bruce Highway, Rockhampton QLD 4702, Australia

关键词: Actiheart;    Young people;    Movement;    Unsupervised outdoor play;    Active travel;    Cross-sectional;   

Others  :  1161293
DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2458-14-91

 received in 2013-08-19, accepted in 2014-01-23,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

Independent mobility describes the freedom of children to travel and play in public spaces without adult supervision. The potential benefits for children are significant such as social interactions with peers, spatial and traffic safety skills and increased physical activity. Yet, the health benefits of independent mobility, particularly on physical activity accumulation, are largely unexplored. This study aimed to investigate associations of children’s independent mobility with light, moderate-to-vigorous, and total physical activity accumulation.

Methods

In 2011 - 2012, 375 Australian children aged 8-13 years (62% girls) were recruited into a cross-sectional study. Children’s independent mobility (i.e. independent travel to school and non-school destinations, independent outdoor play) and socio-demographics were assessed through child and parent surveys. Physical activity intensity was measured objectively through an Actiheart monitor worn on four consecutive days. Associations between independent mobility and physical activity variables were analysed using generalized linear models, accounting for clustered sampling, Actiheart wear time, socio-demographics, and assessing interactions by sex.

Results

Independent travel (walking, cycling, public transport) to school and non-school destinations were not associated with light, moderate-to-vigorous and total physical activity. However, sub-analyses revealed a positive association between independent walking and cycling (excluding public transport) to school and total physical but only in boys (b = 36.03, p < 0.05). Frequent independent outdoor play (three or more days per week) was positively associated with light and total physical activity (b = 29.76, p < 0.01 and b = 32.43, p = 0.03, respectively). No significant associations were found between independent outdoor play and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. When assessing differences by sex, the observed significant associations of independent outdoor play with light and total physical activity remained in girls but not in boys. All other associations showed no significant differences by sex.

Conclusions

Independent outdoor play may boost children’s daily physical activity levels, predominantly at light intensity. Hence, facilitating independent outdoor play could be a viable intervention strategy to enhance physical activity in children, particularly in girls. Associations between independent travel and physical activity are inconsistent overall and require further investigation.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Schoeppe et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 参考文献 】

• [1]2007 Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey. [http://www.commcarelink.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/phd-nutrition-childrens-survey webcite]
• [2]Loprinzi PD, Cardinal BJ, Loprinzi KL, Lee H: Benefits and environmental determinants of physical activity in children and adolescents. Obes Facts 2012, 5:597-610.
• [3]Hallal PC, Victora CG, Azevedo MR, Wells JCK: Adolescent physical activity and health: a systematic review. Sports Med 2006, 36:1019-1030.
• [4]Janz KF, Letuchy EM, Eichenberger-Gilmore JM, Burns TL, Torner JC, Willing MC, Levy SM: Early physical activity provides sustained bone health benefits later in childhood. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2010, 42:1072-1078.
• [5]Dencker M, Andersen LB: Health-related aspects of objectively measured daily physical activity in children. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging 2008, 28:133-144.
• [6]Twisk JWR: Physical activity guidelines for children and adolescents a critical review. Sports Med 2001, 31:617-627.
• [7]Biddle SJ, Gorely T, Stensel DJ: Health-enhancing physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents. J Sports Sci 2004, 22:679-701.
• [8]Telama R: Tracking of physical activity from childhood to adulthood: a review. Obes Facts 2009, 2:187-195.
• [9]Hillman M, Adams J, Whitelegg J: One false move…a study of children's independent mobility. London: Policy Studies Institute; 1990.
• [10]Whitzman C, Mizrachi D: Vertical living kids: Creating supportive high rise environments for children in Melbourne, Australia. Melbourne: The University of Melbourne; 2009.
• [11]Tranter P, Whitelegg J: Children's travel behaviours in Canberra: car-dependent lifestyles in a low density city. J Transp Geogr 1994, 2:265-273.
• [12]Pooley C, Whyatt D, Walker M, Davies G, Coulton P, Bamford W: Understanding the school journey: integrating data on travel and environment. Environ Plan A 2010, 42:948-965.
• [13]Oliver M, Witten K, Kearns RA, Mavoa S, Badland HM, Carroll P, Drumheller C, Tavae N, Asiasiga L, Jelley S, Kaiwai H, Opit S, Lin EJ, Sweetsur P, Barnes HM, Mason N, Ergler C: Kids in the city study: research design and methodology. BMC Public Health 2011, 11:587-598. BioMed Central Full Text
• [14]Carver A, Veitch J, Salmon J, Hume C, Timperio A, Crawford D: Chidren's independent mobility - is it influenced by parents' perceptions of safety?. Melbourne: Deakin Unisversity; 2010.
• [15]Mackett R, Brown B, Gong Y, Kitazawa K, Paskins J: Children's independent movement in the local environment. Built Environ 2007, 33:454-468.
• [16]Page AS, Cooper AR, Griew P, Davis L, Hillsdon M: Independent mobility in relation to weekday and weekend physical activity in children aged 10-11 years: The PEACH Project. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2009, 6:1-9. BioMed Central Full Text
• [17]Carver A, Timperio A, Hesketh K, Crawford D: Are children and adolescents less active if parents restrict their physical activity and active transport due to perceived risk? Soc Sci Med 2010, 70:1799-1805.
• [18]Brown B, Mackett R, Gong Y, Kitazawa K, Paskins J: Gender differences in children's pathways to independent mobility. Child Geogr 2008, 6:385-401.
• [19]Fyhri A, Hjorthol R, Mackett RL, Fotel TN, Kyttä M: Children's active travel and independent mobility in four countries: development, social contributing trends and measures. Transp Policy 2011, 18:703-710.
• [20]Karsten L: It all used to be better? Different generations on continuity and change in urban children's daily use of space. Child Geogr 2005, 3:275-290.
• [21]Wridt PJ: A historical analysis of young people’s use of public space, parks and playgrounds in New York City. Child Youth Environ 2004, 14:86-106.
• [22]Prezza M, Pilloni S, Morabito C, Sersante C, Alparone FR, Giuliani MV: The influence of psychosocial and environmental factors on children's independent mobility and relationship to peer frequentation. J Community Appl Soc Psychol 2001, 11:435-450.
• [23]Shaw B, Watson B, Frauendienst B, Redecker A, Jones T, Hillman M: Children’s independent mobility: a comparative study in England and Germany (1971-2010). London: Policy Studies Institute; 2013.
• [24]Bringolf-Isler B, Grize L, Mader U, Ruch N, Sennhauser FH, Braun-Fahrlander C: Personal and environmental factors associated with active commuting to school in Switzerland. Prev Med 2008, 46:67-73.
• [25]McDonald NC, Deakin E, Aalborg AE: Influence of the social environment on children's school travel. Prev Med 2010, 50(Suppl 1):65-68.
• [26]Schoeppe S, Duncan MJ, Badland H, Oliver M, Curtis C: Associations of children's independent mobility and active travel with physical activity, sedentary behaviour and weight status: a systematic review. J Sci Med Sport 2012, 16:312-319.
• [27]Wen LM, Kite J, Merom D, Rissel C: Time spent playing outdoors after school and its relationship with independent mobility: a cross-sectional survey of children aged 10-12 years in Sydney, Australia. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2009, 6:1-8. BioMed Central Full Text
• [28]Floyd MF, Bocarro JN, Smith WR, Baran PK, Moore RC, Cosco NG, Edwards MB, Suau LJ, Fang K: Park-based physical activity among children and adolescents. Am J Prev Med 2011, 41:258-265.
• [29]Ekelund U, Anderssen SA, Froberg K, Sardinha LB, Andersen LB, Brage S: Independent associations of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness with metabolic risk factors in children: The European youth heart study. Diabetologia 2007, 50:1832-1840.
• [30]Ekelund U, Luan J, Sherar LB, Esliger DW, Griew P, Cooper A: Moderate to vigorous physical activity and sedentary time and cardiometabolic risk factors in children and adolescents. JAMA 2012, 307:704-712.
• [31]Cliff DP, Okely AD, Burrows TL, Jones RA, Morgan PJ, Collins CE, Baur LA: Objectively measured sedentary behavior, physical activity, and plasma lipids in overweight and obese children. Obesity 2013, 21:382-385.
• [32]The Children's Active Travel, Connectedness, and Health (CATCH): Independent Mobility, Active Travel and Children’s Health (iMATCH) projects. [http://research.humanities.curtin.edu.au/projects/catch/ webcite]
• [33]Brage S, Brage N, Ekelund U, Luan J, Franks PW, Froberg K, Wareham NJ: Effect of combined movement and heart rate monitor placement on physical activity estimates during treadmill locomotion and free-living. Eur J Appl Physiol 2006, 96:517-524.
• [34]The Actiheart Guide to Getting Started. [http://www.camntech.com/images/products/actiheart/The_Actiheart_Guide_to_Getting_Started.pdf webcite]
• [35]Villanueva K, Giles-Corti B, Bulsara M, Timperio A, McCormack G, Beesley B, Trapp G, Middleton N: Where do children travel to and what local opportunities are available? The relationship between neighborhood destinations and children’s independent mobility. Environ Behav 2012, 45:679-705.
• [36]Corder K, Brage S, Wareham NJ, Ekelund U: Comparison of PAEE from combined and separate heart rate and movement models in children. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2005, 37:1761-1767.
• [37]Edwardson CL, Gorely T: Epoch length and its effect on physical activity intensity. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2010, 42:928-934.
• [38]Van Sluijs EMF, Fearne VA, Mattocks C, Riddoch C, Griffin SJ, Ness A: The contribution of active travel to children's physical activity levels: cross-sectional results from the ALSPAC study. Prev Med 2009, 48:519-524.
• [39]Carver A, Timperio AF, Hesketh KD, Ridgers ND, Salmon JL, Crawford DA: How is active transport associated with children's and adolescents' physical activity over time? Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2011, 8:126-131. BioMed Central Full Text
• [40]Smith L, Sahlqvist S, Ogilvie D, Jones A, Griffin SJ, van Sluijs E: Is active travel to non-school destinations associated with physical activity in primary school children? Prev Med 2012, 54:224-228.
• [41]Cooper AR, Andersen LB, Wedderkopp N, Page AS, Froberg K: Physical activity levels of children who walk, cycle, or are driven to school. Am J Prev Med 2005, 29:179-184.
• [42]Evenson KR, Catellier DJ, Gill K, Ondrak KS, McMurray RG: Calibration of two objective measures of physical activity for children. J Sports Sci 2008, 26:1557-1565.
• [43]Trost SG, Loprinzi PD, Moore R, Pfeiffer KA: Comparison of accelerometer cut points for predicting activity intensity in youth. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2011, 43:1360-1368.
• [44]Ridgway CL, Brage S, Sharp SJ, Corder K, Westgate KL, van Sluijs EM, Goodyer IM, Hallal PC, Anderssen SA, Sardinha LB, Andersen LB, Ekelund U: Does birth weight influence physical activity in youth? A combined analysis of four studies using objectively measured physical activity. PLoS ONE 2011, 6:1-8.
• [45]Rubin DB: Multiple Imputation for Nonresponse in Surveys. New York: Wiley & Sons; 1987.
• [46]Honaker J, King G, Blackwell M: Amelia II: a program for missing data. J Stat Softw 2011, 45:1-47.
• [47]A language and environment for statistical computing. [http://www.R-project.org webcite]
• [48]Dunton GF, Kawabata K, Intille S, Wolch J, Pentz MA: Assessing the social and physical contexts of children's leisure-time physical activity: an Ecological Momentary Assessment study. Am J Health Promot 2012, 26:135-142.
• [49]Hillman M: Children's rights and adults' wrongs. Child Geogr 2006, 4:61-67.
• [50]Gleave J, Cole-Hamilton I: A world without play: A literature review on the effects of a lack of play on children’s lives. [http://www.playengland.org.uk/media/371031/a-world-without-play-literature-review-2012.pdf webcite]
• [51]Valentine G, McKendrick J, Children's outdoor play: Exploring parental concerns about children's safety and the changing nature of childhood. Geoforum 1997, 28:219-235.
• [52]Davison KK, Lawson CT: Do attributes in the physical environment influence children's physical activity? A review of the literature. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2006, 3:1-17. BioMed Central Full Text
• [53]Ding D, Sallis JF, Kerr J, Lee S, Rosenberg DE: Neighborhood environment and physical activity among youth: a review. Am J Prev Med 2011, 41:442-455.
• [54]Loprinzi PD, Cardinal BJ: Measuring children's physical activity and sedentary behaviors. J Exerc Sci Fit 2011, 9:15-23.
• [55]Trapp G, Giles-Corti B, Martin K, Timperio A, Villanueva K: Conducting field research in a primary school setting: methodological considerations for maximising response rates, data quality and quantitiy. Health Educ J 2012, 71:590-596.
• [56]Schoeppe S, Oliver M, Badland HM, Burke M, Duncan MJ: Recruitment and retention of children in behavioral health risk factor studies: REACH strategies. Int J Behav Med 2013. in press
• [57]Graham JW: Missing data analysis: making it work in the real world. Annu Rev Psychol 2009, 60:549-576.
• [58]Lee PH: Data imputation for accelerometer-measured physical activity: The combined approach. Am J Clin Nutr 2013, 97:965-971.