title: Neighbourhoods for Active Kids: study protocol for a cross-sectional examination of neighbourhood features and children's physical activity, active travel, independent mobility and body size.
abstract: New Zealand children's physical activity, including independent mobility and active travel, has declined markedly over recent decades. The Neighbourhoods for Active Kids (NfAK) study examines how neighbourhood built environments are associated with the independent mobility, active travel, physical activity and neighbourhood experiences of children aged 9-12 years in primary and intermediate schools across Auckland, New Zealand's largest city.
  
  
  
  Child-specific indices of walkability, destination accessibility and traffic exposure will be constructed to measure the built environment in 8 neighbourhoods in Auckland. Interactive online-mapping software will be used to measure children's independent mobility and transport mode to destinations and to derive measures of neighbourhood use and perceptions. Physical activity will be measured using 7-day accelerometry. Height, weight and waist circumference will be objectively measured. Parent telephone interviews will collect sociodemographic information and parent neighbourhood perceptions. Interviews with school representative will capture supports and barriers for healthy activity and nutrition behaviours at the school level. Multilevel modelling approaches will be used to understand how differing built environment variables are associated with activity, neighbourhood experiences and health outcomes.
  
  
  
  We anticipate that children who reside in neighbourhoods considered highly walkable will be more physically active, accumulate more independent mobility and active travel, and be more likely to have a healthy body size. This research is timely as cities throughout New Zealand develop and implement plans to improve the liveability of intensifying urban neighbourhoods. Results will be disseminated to participants, local government agencies and through conventional academic avenues.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, the University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Melody
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.affiliation: Human Potential Centre, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McPhee
authors.affiliation: SHORE and Whāriki Research Centre, School of Public Health, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Penelope
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.affiliation: Human Potential Centre, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.affiliation: SHORE and Whāriki Research Centre, School of Public Health, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing, School of Population and Global Health, the University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mavoa
authors.affiliation: Human Potential Centre, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mackay
authors.affiliation: School of Environment, the University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Robin A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Kearns
authors.affiliation: Department of Real Estate, Planning and Geoinformatics, Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Marketta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kyttä
authors.affiliation: SHORE and Whāriki Research Centre, School of Public Health, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Lanuola
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Asiasiga
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garrett
authors.affiliation: SHORE and Whāriki Research Centre, School of Public Health, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mackett
authors.affiliation: Human Potential Centre, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Caryn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zinn
authors.affiliation: SHORE and Whāriki Research Centre, School of Public Health, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moewaka Barnes
authors.affiliation: Human Potential Centre, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Egli
authors.affiliation: Human Potential Centre, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Prendergast
authors.affiliation: SHORE and Whāriki Research Centre, School of Public Health, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Witten
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry; D001827:Body Height; D049628:Body Size; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002947:Cities; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055361:Multilevel Analysis; D009520:New Zealand; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012574:Schools; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014195:Travel; D055105:Waist Circumference; D016138:Walking
keywords: Accelerometry; Built environment; Child-centred methods; Obesity; Participatory GIS