title: A cross-sectional study of the individual, social, and built environmental correlates of pedometer-based physical activity among elementary school children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Children who participate in regular physical activity obtain health benefits. Preliminary pedometer-based cut-points representing sufficient levels of physical activity among youth have been established; however limited evidence regarding correlates of achieving these cut-points exists. The purpose of this study was to identify correlates of pedometer-based cut-points among elementary school-aged children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-section of children in grades 5-7 (10-12 years of age) were randomly selected from the most (n = 13) and least (n = 12) 'walkable' public elementary schools (Perth, Western Australia), stratified by socioeconomic status. Children (n = 1480; response rate = 56.6%) and parents (n = 1332; response rate = 88.8%) completed a survey, and steps were collected from children using pedometers. Pedometer data were categorized to reflect the sex-specific pedometer-based cut-points of ≥15000 steps/day for boys and ≥12000 steps/day for girls. Associations between socio-demographic characteristics, sedentary and active leisure-time behavior, independent mobility, active transportation and built environmental variables - collected from the child and parent surveys - and meeting pedometer-based cut-points were estimated (odds ratios: OR) using generalized estimating equations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall 927 children participated in all components of the study and provided complete data. On average, children took 11407 ± 3136 steps/day (boys: 12270 ± 3350 vs. girls: 10681 ± 2745 steps/day; p < 0.001) and 25.9% (boys: 19.1 vs. girls: 31.6%; p < 0.001) achieved the pedometer-based cut-points.After adjusting for all other variables and school clustering, meeting the pedometer-based cut-points was negatively associated (p < 0.05) with being male (OR = 0.42), parent self-reported number of different destinations in the neighborhood (OR 0.93), and a friend's (OR 0.62) or relative's (OR 0.44, boys only) house being at least a 10-minute walk from home. Achieving the pedometer-based cut-points was positively associated with participating in screen-time < 2 hours/day (OR 1.88), not being driven to school (OR 1.48), attending a school located in a high SES neighborhood (OR 1.33), the average number of steps among children within the respondent's grade (for each 500 step/day increase: OR 1.29), and living further than a 10-minute walk from a relative's house (OR 1.69, girls only).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Comprehensive multi-level interventions that reduce screen-time, encourage active travel to/from school and foster a physically active classroom culture might encourage more physical activity among children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. gmccorma@ucalgary.ca
authors.forename: Gavin R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: McCormack
authors.forename: Billie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Giles-Corti
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Timperio
authors.forename: Georgina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Villanueva
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory; D009043:Motor Activity; D010290:Parents; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012932:Social Facilitation; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014186:Transportation; D016138:Walking