Correlates of Children’s Independent Mobility in Canada: A Multi-Site Study

Negin A. Riazi, Sébastien Blanchette, François Trudeau, Richard Larouche, Mark S. Tremblay and Guy Faulkner
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Negin A. Riazi: School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
Sébastien Blanchette: Département des sciences de l’activité physique, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC G8Z 4M3, Canada
François Trudeau: Département des sciences de l’activité physique, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC G8Z 4M3, Canada
Richard Larouche: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
Mark S. Tremblay: Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
Guy Faulkner: School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 16, 1-14

Abstract: Globally, physical inactivity is a concern, and children’s independent mobility (CIM) may be an important target behavior for addressing the physical inactivity crisis. The aim of this study was to examine correlates of CIM (8–12 years old) in the Canadian context to inform future interventions. CIM was measured via parent surveys. Individual, social, and environmental correlates of CIM were examined using a social–ecological framework. 1699 participants’ data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and gender-stratified linear mixed-effects models while controlling for site, area-level socioeconomic status, and type of urbanization. Individual correlates including child grade ( β = 0.612, p < 0.001), language spoken at home ( β = −0.503, p < 0.001), car ownership ( β = −0.374, p < 0.05), and phone ownership ( β = 0.593, p < 0.001) were associated with CIM. For boys, parental gender ( β = −0.387, p < 0.01) was negatively associated with CIM. Parents’ perceptions of safety and environment were significantly associated with CIM. Location (i.e., site) was significantly associated with CIM (ref: Trois-Rivières; Ottawa ( β = −1.188, p < 0.001); Vancouver ( β = −1.216, p < 0.001)). Suburban environments were negatively associated with boys’ independent mobility ( β = −0.536, p < 0.05), while walkability (400 m β = 0.064, p < 0.05; 1600 m β = −0.059, p < 0.05) was significantly associated with girls’ independent mobility only. Future research and interventions should consider targeting “modifiable factors” like children’s and parents’ perceptions of neighborhood safety and environment.

Keywords: active transportation; built environment; socioeconomic status; physical activity; social–ecological framework; urbanization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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