Differential impacts of physical activity-supportive resources on child physical activity: the role of neighborhood SES

Background: Previous research consistently shows that having access to resources supporting physical activity encourages physical activity behaviors. However, it remains unclear whether the benefits of these resources vary across communities with different socioeconomic statuses.

Purpose: To determine whether neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) moderates the relationship between access to physical activity-supportive resources and child physical activity in 130 diverse communities across the United States (US).

Methods: Data from 4,598 children aged 4-15 were analyzed. More than half of the sample self-identified as Hispanic or Black. Neighborhood SES quartiles were determined using six standardized indicators from the Census. Child access to physical activity-supportive resources at home/yard (e.g., bicycle, active equipment) and in the community/neighborhood (e.g., basketball hoop, playground, tennis court) was self-reported. Total physical activity was measured using the 7-day Physical Activity Behavior Recall instrument. Linear mixed models with robust standard errors were used to analyze the relationship between reported resource access, total physical activity, and the influence of neighborhood SES. Models adjusted for community-level clustering and relevant child- and neighborhood-level covariates.

Results: Neighborhood SES moderated the association between reported access to physical activity-supportive resources and total physical activity (p<0.05). Greater access to these resources in the community/neighborhood was linked to higher total physical activity, but only in low SES neighborhoods (p<0.001). Similarly, increased access to resources in the home/yard was associated with higher total physical activity, but only in very low and low SES neighborhoods (p=0.038; p<0.001).

Conclusions: Physical activity-supportive resources play a distinct role in promoting physical activity among children living in low-SES communities across the US.

Practical implications: The socioeconomic differences observed in the relationship between physical activity-supportive resources emphasize the necessity for targeted policies addressing deprivation in low SES neighborhoods to promote youth physical activity in the US.

Funding: National Institutes of Health: R01HL137731, HHSN268201000041C