The Importance of Pedestrian Network Connectivity for Adolescent Health: A Cross-sectional Examination of Associations between Neighbourhood Built Environments and Metabolic Health in the Pacific Islands Families Birth Cohort Study

Melody Smith, Vlad Obolonkin, Lindsay Plank, Leon Iusitini, Euan Forsyth, Tom Stewart, Janis Paterson, El-Shadan Tautolo, Fa’asisila Savila and Elaine Rush
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Melody Smith: School of Nursing, the University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Vlad Obolonkin: School of Sport and Recreation, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Lindsay Plank: Department of Surgery, the University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Leon Iusitini: School of Public Health and Psychosocial Studies, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Euan Forsyth: School of Environment, the University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Tom Stewart: School of Sport and Recreation, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Janis Paterson: School of Public Health and Psychosocial Studies, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
El-Shadan Tautolo: School of Public Health and Psychosocial Studies, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Fa’asisila Savila: School of Population Health, the University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Elaine Rush: School of Sport and Recreation, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1142, New Zealand

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 18, 1-18

Abstract: The research aim was to investigate associations between objectively-assessed built environment attributes and metabolic risk in adolescents of Pacific Islands ethnicity, and to consider the possible mediating effect of physical activity and sedentary time. Youth ( n = 204) undertook a suite of physical assessments including body composition, blood sampling, and blood pressure measurements, and seven day accelerometry. Objective measures of the neighbourhood built environment were generated around individual addresses. Logistic regression and linear modelling were used to assess associations between environment measures and metabolic health, accounting for physical activity behaviours. Higher pedestrian connectivity was associated with an increase in the chance of having any International Diabetes Federation metabolic risk factors for males only. Pedestrian connectivity was related to fat free mass in males in unadjusted analyses only. This study provides evidence for the importance of pedestrian network connectivity for health in adolescent males. Future research is required to expand the limited evidence in neighbourhood environments and adolescent metabolic health.

Keywords: moderate-to-vigorous physical activity; diabetes; body composition; fat free mass (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 (1)

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