title: Micro-environmental characteristics related to body weight, diet, and physical activity of children and adolescents: a systematic umbrella review.
abstract: This umbrella review analyzed the relationships between social and physical micro-environmental (neighborhood, school) characteristics as predictors of child and adolescent diet, physical activity, and body weight. Eight systematic reviews, discussing 132 original studies (97% correlational, 3% experimental) yielded 98 social, physical, and socio-economic characteristics, as categorized in the original reviews. Among micro-environmental predictors stronger support (i.e., replicated results) was obtained for 12 out of 98 original micro-environmental variables, with physical activity as the outcome in 10 out of 12 cases. In particular, replicated significant relationships were found for several physical activity-specific neighborhood and school characteristics (e.g., community opportunities to exercise, lower costs of physical activity facilities, physical activity build environment) and adolescent physical activity. Among more general (i.e., not behavior-specific) micro-environmental characteristics, stronger support was found for low crime level, school type, and child/adolescent physical activity.
authors.affiliation: Warsaw School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Safron
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cislak
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gaspar
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luszczynska
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D001835:Body Weight; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012931:Social Environment