Associations between community programmes and policies and children's physical activity: the Healthy Communities Study

• Published in: Pediatric obesity Vol. 13; no. S1; pp. 72 - 81
• Main Authors: Pate, R. R., Frongillo, E. A., McIver, K. L., Colabianchi, N., Wilson, D. K., Collie‐Akers, V. L., Schultz, J. A., Reis, J., Madsen, K., Woodward‐Lopez, G., Berrigan, D., Landgraf, A., Nagaraja, J., Strauss, W. J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.10.2018
• Subjects: Child; Children; Children & youth; Childrens health; Community; Cross-Sectional Studies; Exercise; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Obesity; obesity prevention programmes; Pediatric Obesity - prevention & control; Pediatrics; physical activity; Physical fitness; Prevention; Preventive Health Services - statistics & numerical data; Public Health - statistics & numerical data; Retrospective Studies; Self Report; United States; United States; Children; community; obesity prevention programmes; physical activity
• ISSN: 2047-6302; 2047-6310; 2047-6310
• DOI: 10.1111/ijpo.12426

Summary Background Community initiatives to promote physical activity in children are common, but evidence supporting their effectiveness is limited. Objectives The objective of this study is to examine the relationships between community programmes and policies and children's physical activity in a large and diverse sample of US communities. Methods Programmes and policies to promote children's physical activity were assessed in 130 communities by key informant interviews, and physical activity behaviours were measured by self‐report and parental report in samples of children in each community (total n = 5138). Associations between composite indices of community programmes and policies and indicators of total and moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity were examined without and with adjustment for demographic factors. Results An index reflecting the 6‐year history of the number of behaviour change strategies used in community programmes and policies was positively associated with children's moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity. This association was attenuated with adjustment for demographic factors. Effect modification analyses found that the association was positive among non‐Hispanic children but was negative for Hispanic children. Conclusions Community initiatives to promote physical activity in children were positively associated with children's physical activity in non‐Hispanic children. Such initiatives were negatively associated with physical activity in Hispanic children, suggesting that future research should consider unique cultural factors when designing community initiatives to promote activity in this population sub‐group. What is already known about this subject? Most children and youth in the USA do not meet current physical activity guidelines. Children's physical activity levels vary across gender and race/ethnicity groups, and they also vary across school and community groups. Previous community interventions to increase children's physical activity have yielded modest and inconsistent outcomes. What this study adds? An index that is reflective of community programmes and policies aimed at increasing physical activity was found to be positively related to children's physical activity but only in non‐Hispanic children. This study shows that community initiatives to promote children's physical activity operate inconsistently across ethnicity groups. Research is needed to identify community programmes and policies that positively influence physical activity in Hispanic children. This article is part of the supplement: The Healthy Communities Study: Examining Community Programs, Policies and Other Characteristics in Relation to Child Weight, Diet, and Physical Activity