Neighborhood and Family Characteristics Associated with Adiposity and Physical Activity Engagement among Preschoolers in a Small Rural Community

Emily Hill Guseman; Susan B Sisson; Jonathon Whipps; Cheryl A Howe; Madelyn M Byra; Lucie E Silver

doi:10.3390/ijerph192113964

Neighborhood and Family Characteristics Associated with Adiposity and Physical Activity Engagement among Preschoolers in a Small Rural Community

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Oct 27;19(21):13964. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192113964.

Authors

Emily Hill Guseman^{1

2}, Susan B Sisson³, Jonathon Whipps⁴, Cheryl A Howe⁵, Madelyn M Byra⁶, Lucie E Silver⁷

Affiliations

¹ Diabetes Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA.
² Department of Primary Care, Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens, OH 45701, USA.
³ Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA.
⁴ Department of Natural and Social Sciences, Bowling Green State University Firelands, Huron, OH 44839, USA.
⁵ School of Applied Health Sciences and Wellness, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA.
⁶ Child Health and Exercise Medicine Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada.
⁷ Healthy Weight Center, Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate family and home/neighborhood characteristics associated with physical activity (PA) and adiposity among young children living in a small rural community.

Methods: Participants were 30 parents and their youngest child aged 2-5 years. Children wore accelerometers for 7 days. Parents completed questionnaires about family lifestyle behaviors, parenting practices, and home/neighborhood characteristics.

Results: None of the family lifestyle behaviors were associated with child BMI percentile. Backyard size was inversely associated with moderate to vigorous physical activity on weekday afternoons (rho = -0.488, p = 0.006), as was perception of neighborhood dangers (rho = -0.388, p = 0.034). Perceived neighborhood safety (rho = 0.453, p = 0.012), the presence of sidewalks (rho = 0.499, p = 0.012), and public playground use (rho = 0.406, p = 0.026) were each associated with higher weekday afternoon MVPA.

Conclusions: Findings suggest neighborhood safety, sidewalks, and use of public playgrounds are positively associated with MVPA among preschoolers, while backyard size and access to play equipment at home are not. These findings have implications for rural communities where space is plentiful but access to community space and sidewalks may be limited.

Keywords: early childhood; lifestyle; obesity; physical activity; playgrounds.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adiposity*
Child
Child, Preschool
Exercise
Family Characteristics
Humans
Obesity
Residence Characteristics
Rural Population*

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the University of Wyoming College of Health Sciences and the APC was funded by research incentive funds from Ohio University.