Effect of Policy/Environmental Interventions on Physical Activity Among Urban Children

Background:  Policy and environmental interventions contribute to physical activity (PA) yet there is a paucity of studies, especially among diverse populations, affected by such interventions.  A project occurring within a mid-sized Southeastern US city provided opportunity to assess the impact of PA policy and environmental interventions on the PA among predominately African-American urban dwelling children.  We hypothesized following 3 years of PA intervention; PA levels among these urban children would increase significantly.  Methods:  Using the System for Observing Physical Activity and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) we assessed parks, walking, and bike routes within the boundaries of urban neighborhoods to measure PA among children. SOPARC data were collected in 2011 and then 2014 in each of 8 settings in neighborhoods during 3 1-h observation periods for 5 days of clement weather. Observations were made Monday through Friday in each setting.  Results:  The SOPARC assessments of the pedestrian/bike routes/trails, and recreational space in each community yielded a total of 692 child/youth observations in 2011 while repeat measures in 2014 yielded 806 child/youth observations.  A greater number of physically active children were observed in 2014 compared to children observed in 2011 (OR = 4.2, 95% CL, 2.13, 8.5; Mantel-Haenszel Chi Square = 19.36; P< 0.00001).  Conclusions:  Findings support the hypothesis that policy and environmental interventions targeting infrastructure, signage, and use policies support increased PA levels among children ~ 3 year period. This difference was most remarkable when examining differences observed along the transport path/sidewalk routes and open recreational space.