Background: Little is known about how physical activity and various high-risk behaviors of youth are associated, particularly in disadvantaged, minority neighborhoods.
Purpose: We examine whether fear, victimization, and perceived incivilities are associated with physical activity and outdoor recreation among Latino youth and whether involvement in physical activity is associated with delinquency.
Methods: Path models were assessed using data collected from school-based surveys of 390 youth across 3 schools in Chicago, Illinois.
Results: Fear was associated with low levels of physical activity and outdoor recreation, while incivilities were associated with reduced levels of outdoor recreation but not physical activity. Outdoor recreation exhibited a positive association with delinquency. Some effects differed by gender.
Conclusions: The findings reinforce considering different interventions to encourage physical activity and outdoor recreation for girls versus boys, and thinking comprehensively about lowering the risk for delinquency when encouraging outdoor recreation.