Physical Activity, Overweight, and Perceptions of Neighborhood Environments Among Portuguese Girls

• DOI: 10.1123/jpah.3.3.314
• Publication Date: 2016-08-10T12:08:16Z
• Authors: Jorge Mota; Nuno Delgado; Mariana Almeida; José Carlos Ribeiro; Maria Paula Santos
• Keywords: 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Other medical sciences; 4. Education; Outras ciências médicas; Ciências médicas e da saúde::Outras ciências médicas; Medical and Health sciences::Other medical sciences

Background:The purpose of this study was 1) to compare physical activity levels according to body-mass index; 2) to determine which, if any, neighborhood perceived attributes were related to overweight.Methods:The sample comprised 610 girls age 14.7 ± 1.6 y. Girls were grouped into normal weight and overweight. Environmental variables and physical activity were assessed by questionnaire.Results:No significant differences were found in physical activity levels between normal weight and overweight girls. Logistic regression analysis revealed that girls who agreed that “there is so much traffic on the streets that it makes it unpleasant to walk in the neighborhood” were more likely to be overweight (OR = 1.78; 95% CI 1.10 to 2.89).Conclusion:The study found no relationship between perceptions of the environment and overweight among Portuguese girls, except for perceptions of security for walking in the neighborhood.