Neighborhood environment and children's physical activity and body mass index: evidence from military personnel installation assignments.

BACKGROUND

The majority of existing studies use observed, rather than experimental or quasi-experimental, variation in individuals' neighborhood environments to study their influence on body weight and related behaviors.

PURPOSE

This study leverages the periodic relocation of military personnel to examine the relationship between neighborhood environment and children's physical activity (PA) and BMI in military families.

METHODS

This study utilizes data on 12- and 13-year-old children from the Military Teenagers Environments, Exercise, and Nutrition Study (N=903). Multivariate regression models are estimated, separately for families living on- and off-post, to examine the relationship between parents' perceptions of the neighborhood environment, measured using the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale-Youth Version (NEWS-Y), and children's self-reported PA and BMI.

RESULTS

Different features of the neighborhood environment were significant for off- versus on-post families. For children living off-post, a 1 standard deviation (SD) increase in the proximity-to-recreational-facilities subscale was associated with 16.5 additional minutes per week (p<0.05) of moderate PA (MPA), but street connectivity had a significant negative association with vigorous activity. For children living on-post, a 1 SD increase on the crime safety subscale was associated with 22.9 additional minutes per week (p<0.05) of MPA. None of the NEWS-Y subscales were associated with children's BMI.

CONCLUSIONS

Efforts to increase children's PA in military families should take into account that different aspects of the neighborhood environment matter for children living on- versus off-post.