Abstract
Objectives: Physical activity and nutrition are essential to healthy living and particularly important during youth, when growth and development are key. This study examined rates of physical activity (PA) and diet quality (DQ) among youth in grades 7 to 9 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, during the 2008/09 school year and tested differences among students in rural, urban and suburban neighbourhood types of high and low socio-economic status (SES). Methods: Youth in grades 7 through 9 (aged 12-16; 53% male) from six schools (N=380), stratified by neighbourhood type (urban, suburban, rural) and SES, wore accelerometers for up to 7 days (mean=4.14, standard deviation=1.49) and completed a nutritional survey. Results: The findings suggest important differences in PA and DQ across SES and neighbourhood type. Specifically, rates of moderate to vigorous physical activity among youth from schools in lower socio-economic areas were higher in urban than in suburban or rural settings. Furthermore, DQ was better among youth in higher than in lower socio-economic urban settings. Conclusions: Understanding these differences in PA and DQ across rural, urban and suburban environments of high and low SES may highlight subgroups and targeted geographic areas for the design of interventions to improve rates of PA and health nutrition.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | S55-S60 |
| Journal | Canadian Journal of Public Health |
| Volume | 103 |
| Issue number | SUPPL. 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2012 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Acknowledgements : This research was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health and Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes; and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, through the Built Environment, Obesity and Health Initiative. The authors thank the ENACT team, including its principal investigators Renee Lyons and Jill Grant; co-investigators (not listed as co-authors) Michael Arthur, Andrea Chircop, Patricia Manuel and Louise Parker; community and policy partners Janet Barlow, Diana Dibblee, Amy MacDonald, Roxane Maclnnis, Michelle Murton, Clare O’Connor, Paul Shakotko and Jacqueline Spiers; and staff and students Meredith Flannery, Andrew Harding, Nicole Landry, Kathryn MacKay, Gillian McGinnis, Julie Rouette and Stephanie Wood
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
