(An item from the ISHN Member information service) ISHN has been tracking articles on various school-based and school-linked interventions to increase physical activity among students. One of those articles has noted that walking/biking to school was likely the best and easiest way to increase activity but, often, a minority of parents allow their children to do so. An article in Issue #6, 2013 of the European Journal of Public Health confirms other studies that suggest that parental perceptions of neighbourhood safety will strongly influence that choice. The researchers report that "Significant associations were found between child obesity and the following residential environmental characteristics: the odds of children being obese were lower if their parents believed that it was safe (low/no crime rate) to walk/cycle at night (OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.54–0.79) and during the day (OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.55–0.86) and that it was easy and pleasant (pedestrian safety) to walk in their neighbourhoods (OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.58–0.90) and when local sidewalks were well maintained and unobstructed (OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.01–1.40). Conclusion: Parental perceptions of neighbourhood safety and the quality of local sidewalks are significantly associated with obesity values." Read more>>
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