title: The perceived and built environment surrounding urban schools and physical activity among adolescent girls.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neighborhood perceived/built environment and physical activity (PA) associations have been examined for adolescents around homes, but not surrounding schools.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this paper is to examine if positive perceptions/built environment in neighborhoods surrounding schools predict PA among low-income, urban adolescent girls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measures include: minutes in moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA, ankle accelerometry), perceptions of the school environment (questionnaire), built environment (neighborhood audit). Analyses include multi-level models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred twenty-four sixth and seventh grade girls [mean(sd) age = 12.1(0.7) years] from 12 schools serving low-income, primarily African American communities; mean MVPA 35.4 min (mean days assessed = 5.8). Girls in schools with more positive perceptions of the neighborhood environment surrounding the school were less active (β = 7.2, p = 0.043). Having "places to go within walking distance" (perceptions) and number of food stores near school (built environment) positively relate to MVPA (β = 5.5, p = 0.042 and β = 0.59, p = 0.047).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among neighborhoods surrounding urban schools, positive perceptions do not predict PA; accessibility, via both perceived and built environment, support PA.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Growth and Nutrition Division, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 737 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. ehager@peds.umaryland.edu
authors: Erin R
authors: ER
authors: Hager
authors: Dawn O
authors: DO
authors: Witherspoon
authors: Candice
authors: C
authors: Gormley
authors: Laura W
authors: LW
authors: Latta
authors: M Reese
authors: MR
authors: Pepper
authors: Maureen M
authors: MM
authors: Black
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012574:Schools; D014505:Urban Population