268936 Differences in perceptions of the home food and physical activity environment among adult dyads

Monday, October 29, 2012 : 3:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Iris Alcantara, MPH , Emory Prevention Research Center, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Regine Haardörfer, PhD , Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Karen Glanz, PhD, MPH , Perelman School of Medicine and School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Denise Ballard, MEd , Cancer Prevention and Control, Cancer Coalition of South Georgia, Albany, GA
Michelle Kegler, DrPH , Department of Behavioral Science and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Microenvironments such as homes and neighborhoods are often studied as behavioral determinants of health and health behavior. They are typically measured through observation or self-report, both of which have limitations. To our knowledge, few studies have examined whether cohabitating adults report these environments similarly, and no studies have explored predictors of discrepant perceptions among adult dyads. To advance this line of inquiry, we examined self-reported data from 83 adult dyads living in the same home. Foods and exercise equipment in the home and access to neighborhood recreational facilities were measured. Independence of scores was assessed using Pearson correlation coefficients, and individual responses within inventory scores were assessed using percentage agreement and Cohen's kappa. Multivariate regression analysis was used to predict factors that contributed to disagreement within dyads. Preliminary results are as follows: Agreement for fruits, vegetables and other foods available in the home in the past week ranged from 53-92%. Agreement for equipment in the home and neighborhood facilities (e.g., park, trails) ranged from 55-98%. Race and days between the interviews predicted disagreement among dyads for fruits in the home, and for neighborhood facilities. Differences in BMI and PA also predicted disagreement for neighborhood facilities. Cohabitating adults report their home food and PA environments differently, with dyads having less disagreement about their PA environment than their food environment. These findings have implications for how environments are measured and how data are interpreted. Future research should examine characteristics of individuals (e.g., PA level; BMI) associated with more accurate reporting of environments.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe the agreement/disagreement between adult dyads in reporting their home food environment Describe the agreement/disagreement between adult dyads in reporting their home/neighborhood physical activity environment Identify factors that predict disagreement between adult dyads

Keywords: Health Behavior, Public Health Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I worked as the Research Team Lead for this research project and contributed to its planning and managed its implementation. I am interested in health behaviors and health outcomes related to obesity, including their relationship with home and neighborhood environments.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.