Association Between School Neighborhood Walkability and Adolescent Physical Activity
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Keywords

Physical Activity
crime, parents, physical activity, race, walkability, youth
active travel to school
physical activity promotion, youth settings, after-school, training, MVPA

How to Cite

Brooke E. Wagner, Zili Zong, Cody D. Neshteruk, & Emily M. D’Agostino. (2025). Association Between School Neighborhood Walkability and Adolescent Physical Activity. Journal of Healthy Eating and Active Living, 5(2), 161–170. https://doi.org/10.51250/jheal.v5i2.101

Abstract

Neighborhood structural factors are associated with greater feasibility of youth active travel and thus, greater levels of physical activity. However, limited prior work has addressed walkability factors specific to the school neighborhood related to adolescent physical activity during the school day. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between two school neighborhood walkability factors (neighborhood density and neighborhood age) and school-related adolescent MVPA). We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating (FLASHE) study for 1,183 adolescents ages 12-17 years. linear regression models assessed the association between both (i.e., population/housing unit density and age of buildings/units, respectively, within a 400m buffer around school address) and , adjusting for ge, sex, race/ethnicity, weight status, urban/rural environment and parent MVPA. neighborhood density (8.62, 95% CI: 0.70, 16.53) and school-neighborhood age (6.38, 95% CI: -0.29, 13.05, n.s.) were both positively associated with school-related MVPA. When seeking to improve physical activity among adolescents, school neighborhood structural factors that support physical activity throughout a school day should be considered. These findings can be used to support environmental and policy changes to improve school-neighborhood walkability and adolescent participation in physical activity.

https://doi.org/10.51250/jheal.v5i2.101
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Copyright (c) 2025 Brooke E. Wagner, Zili Zong, Cody D. Neshteruk, Emily M. D'Agostino