Neighborhood and school environments and
accelerometers: estimates of youth physical
activity levels.

This study takes advantage of a large existing database
of physical activity measurements collected among sixth
and seventh graders in ten Massachusetts middle schools
to see if the environment at school or in the neighborhood
is associated with the children's activity levels.

The physical activity data, measured by accelerometer
and self-report, allow us to identify active and sedentary
periods by time of day for 251 students. We are assessing
factors such as density, mix of land uses, and completeness
of the sidewalk network, using GIS data, aerial photographic
maps, and site visits for each school and its surrounding
neighborhood. We will also be looking at the layout of the
schools themselves including collecting information on the
size of the campus and the presence of stairs.

Among the questions the HPRC team will be asking is
whether the pedestrian environment in the neighborhood
is related to physical activity for students on weekends,
and if active-school environments are associated with
more activity during the school day. The database also
includes information on weather conditions, and the
researchers will see if the neighborhood environment
influences whether children walked or biked to school
in bad weather.

For more information on Active Living programs
visit Active Living Research.org

Co-Principal Investigators: Angie Cradock, ScD;
Steve Gortmaker, PhD
Funder: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Funding Dates: February 1, 2004 - January 31, 2006