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Urban sprawl and its relationship with active transportation, physical activity and obesity in Canadian youth

Publication: Health Reports 2012:23(2) www.statcan.gc.ca/healthreports

Authors: Laura Seliske, William Pickett and Ian Janssen

Data: 2007/2008 Canadian Community Health Survey

Urban sprawl is a potential environmental influence on youth overweight/obesity. However, little is known about the association between urban sprawl and behaviours that influence obesity such as active transportation and physical activity.

The study population consisted of 7,017 respondents aged 12 to 19 to the 2007/2008 Canadian Community Health Survey, living in Canada's 33 census metropolitan areas (CMAs). Factor analysis was used to obtain an urban sprawl score for each CMA, incorporating dwelling density, percentage of single or detached dwelling units, and percentage of the population living in the urban core. Multi-level logistic regression examined whether urban sprawl was associated with frequent active transportation (30 or more minutes a day), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (60 or more minutes a day), and overweight/obesity.

Urban sprawl was associated with active transportation among 12- to 15-year-olds, with the relative odds of engaging in at least 30 minutes of active transportation per day increasing by 24% for each standard deviation increase in the urban sprawl score. For the entire sample aged 12 to 19, higher urban sprawl was associated with MVPA, but not with overweight/obesity.

Full article

For more information about this article, contact Laura Seliske (1-647-233-1922; lseliske@gmail.com).