Associations between built environment and physical activity of 7–8-year-old children. Cross-sectional results from the Lithuanian COSI study
Abstract
Materials and methods: Data were obtained participating in the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI). The study protocol was granted ethical approval from Lithuanian Bioethics Committee (No. 6B-10-02). Parents/guardians provided written informed consent. A cross-sectional study was carried out in 2013. A multilevel sampling method was employed for composing a national representative sample. The representing data were collected by means of standardized questionnaires, which were filled out by 3802 parents of the selected first-formers.
Results: The mean age of the first-formers was 7.3 years (SD 0.5). More than half (62.2%) of parents stated that roads to schools were safe; most (78.7%) of adults notified that children had where to play and exercise in their living area. Place of residence of family and recreation areas in living environment were significant predictors of children's daily physical activity and possibility to attend sport or dancing clubs.
Conclusions: Results from the national survey of 7–8-year-old children of Lithuania reveal that urban living area of families, availability of playgrounds and recreational facilities were associated with higher possibilities of children to be sufficiently physically active.
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Žaltauskė, V.; Petrauskienė, A. Associations between built environment and physical activity of 7–8-year-old children. Cross-sectional results from the Lithuanian COSI study. Medicina 2016, 52, 366-371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medici.2016.11.002
Žaltauskė V, Petrauskienė A. Associations between built environment and physical activity of 7–8-year-old children. Cross-sectional results from the Lithuanian COSI study. Medicina. 2016; 52(6):366-371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medici.2016.11.002
Chicago/Turabian StyleŽaltauskė, Vilma, and Aušra Petrauskienė. 2016. "Associations between built environment and physical activity of 7–8-year-old children. Cross-sectional results from the Lithuanian COSI study" Medicina 52, no. 6: 366-371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medici.2016.11.002