A community survey on neighborhood violence, park use, and physical activity among urban youth.
BACKGROUND
Neighborhoods can be an important feature of the built environment influencing physical activity; however, neighborhood poverty and violence may pose significant barriers for youth physical activity. We conducted a community survey of 107 households with youth 3-12 years of age in select neighborhoods of the city of Newark, New Jersey, a highly impoverished and racially/ethnically segregated city of the United States.


RESULTS
The majority of sampled households did not have access to a park, and nearly 60% of youth were not engaged in a team or organized physical activity program. Hearing gunshots and seeing drug deals in the neighborhood were reported by 74% and 56%, respectively, of study participants. In adjusted regression models, a 1-unit increase in self-reported neighborhood safety was associated with perceptions that parks were safe for youth to use (OR = 1.7, CI = 1.3, 2.3) and increased odds of youth using parks (OR = 1.3, CI = 1.0, 1.6). Self-reported neighborhood violence was marginally associated with lower levels of Metabolic Equivalent (MET)-min/week of moderate PA (β = -54.25, P = .05).


CONCLUSIONS
To ensure national goals of increased physical activity and use of outdoor spaces, addressing the neighborhood contexts under which the most vulnerable of our youth live will be required.
Dept of Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ.
Sandra E
SE
Echeverria
Amiee
A
Luan Kang
Carmen R
CR
Isasi
Janice
J
Johnson-Dias
Dula
D
Pacquiao
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055686:Metabolic Equivalent / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009515:New Jersey; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011633:Public Facilities; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012931:Social Environment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult