title: Parental perception of built environment characteristics and built environment use among Latino families: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: Perception of undesirable features may inhibit built environment use for physical activity among underserved families with children at risk for obesity.
  
  
  
  To examine the association of perceived availability, condition, and safety of the built environment with its self-reported use for physical activity, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis on baseline data from a randomized controlled trial. Adjusted Poisson regression was used to test the association between the primary independent variables (perceived availability, physical condition, and safety) with the primary outcome of self-reported use of built environment structures.
  
  
  
  Among 610 parents (90% Latino) of preschool-age children, 158 (26%) reported that there were no available built environment structures for physical activity in the neighborhood. The use of built environment structures was associated with the perceived number of available structures (B = 0.34, 95% CI 0.31, 0.37, p < 0.001) and their perceived condition (B = 0.19, 95% CI 0.12, 0.27, p = 0.001), but not with perceived safety (B = 0.00, 95% CI -0.01, 0.01, p = 0.7).
  
  
  
  In this sample of underserved families, perceived availability and condition of built environment structures were associated with use rather than perceived safety. To encourage physical activity among underserved families, communities need to invest in the condition and availability of built environment structures.
  
  
  
  Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT01316653 ) on March 11, 2011.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2146 Belcourt Ave, 2nd Floor, Nashville, TN, 37209, USA. Bill.Heerman@vanderbilt.edu.
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Heerman
authors.affiliation: Independent Research Consultant, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2146 Belcourt Ave, 2nd Floor, Nashville, TN, 37209, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Human Development, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA.
authors.forename: Nina C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2146 Belcourt Ave, 2nd Floor, Nashville, TN, 37209, USA.
authors.forename: Evan C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Sommer
authors.affiliation: Center for Geospatial Analytics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Bakergem
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2146 Belcourt Ave, 2nd Floor, Nashville, TN, 37209, USA.|Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA.
authors.forename: Julie Lounds
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Energy Balance Laboratory, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA.
authors.forename: Maciej S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Buchowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2146 Belcourt Ave, 2nd Floor, Nashville, TN, 37209, USA.
authors.forename: Shari L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Barkin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services; D003153:Community Health Services; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004777:Environment; D004779:Environment Design; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Built environment; Obesity; Physical activity