The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #73361

Sarah Boslaugh, PhD, Health Communications Research Laboratory, Saint Louis University, 3545 Lafayette Ave, 4th floor, St. Louis, MO 63104, 314-977-4098, boslaugh@slu.edu

Inactivity is a major risk factor for many diseases, yet most American adults are inactive, and ethnic minorities and the poor are even less active than the general population. An individual’s activity level is influenced by many factors, some personal, some social or environmental, yet most studies include factors from only one level, and are unable to consider the relative contribution and interaction of factors at different levels. In this study, we used Hierarchical Linear Modeling to examine how individual factors (race, income) and neighborhood-level factors (percent Black, median house value, percent living in the same house five or more years, percent commuting by public transportation, percent commuting by walking or cycling) influenced individual’s perceptions of their neighborhood’s suitability for physical activity. Individual-level data were collected through a survey conducted among 1073 adults in Metropolitan St. Louis, MO. Neighborhood-level data was drawn from the 2000 U.S. Census. A preliminary analysis found important contributions from variables at both levels to perceptions of neighborhood suitability for exercise. with greater explanatory power for neighborhood pleasantness and safety (R2 = .418) than for availability of facilities (R2 = .099). A model which allowed interaction between individual race and neighborhood racial composition was then used to predict perceptions of neighborhood pleasantness and safety. The final model showed a large interaction effect between individual race and neighborhood racial composition, as the influence of neighborhood percent Black on negative perceptions of neighborhood pleasantness and safety were 146% greater for Blacks than for Whites.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to describe the difference between individual- and group-level factors, identify individual- and neighborhood-level factors which may influence physical activity, and explain the benefits of including factors from multiple levels in a model.

Keywords: Physical Activity, Urban Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.