Ecological Momentary Assessment of Momentary Associations Between Availability of Physical Activity Space and Physical Activity Opportunities Among Children from Rural, Urban, and Suburban Locales

Ann Kuhn (), Yan Wang, Rachel Deitch, Amy Zemanick, Genevieve Dunton, Lindsey Turner and Erin R. Hager
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Ann Kuhn: Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
Yan Wang: Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
Rachel Deitch: Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
Amy Zemanick: Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
Genevieve Dunton: Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
Lindsey Turner: College of Education, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA
Erin R. Hager: Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 12, 1-13

Abstract: Using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), this study examined associations between momentary availability of physical activity (PA) space and accessibility of PA opportunities among 608 elementary and middle school students who were participating in an obesity prevention trial in one mid-Atlantic state in the U.S. Smartphones prompted EMA surveys at random times to assess children’s perceived availability of PA space and accessibility of PA opportunities during out-of-school time, three to seven times each day over seven days. Multilevel logistic regression, which accounted for multiple responses per student, examined within- and between-person relations as well as the moderating effects of locale. The participants ( M age = 10.88 years) lived in suburban (64%), rural (23%), and urban locales (13%). PA space availability was associated with greater PA opportunity accessibility (within-person OR = 9.82, p < 0.001; between-person OR = 22.61, p < 0.001). Locale moderated within-person relationships ( p < 0.001), indicating that urban students with space were unable to use it or could be active but were without space. These findings advance our knowledge of temporal and environmental aspects related to childhood PA across diverse locales and can be used by policymakers to make informed decisions to ensure the use of age-appropriate, high quality, and safe spaces, particularly for children in urban areas.

Keywords: physical activity; ecological momentary assessment; geographic locale; children; physical activity accessibility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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