Neighborhood Environment and Physical Activity in Hispanic-American Preschoolers

描述（由申请人提供）：西班牙裔美国人是美国增长最快的种族群体之一，也是所有年龄段肥胖患病率最高的群体。预防肥胖需要从幼儿期开始，通过促进积极的生活方式。虽然有越来越多的经验支持的物理和社会环境和体育活动（PA）的行为方面之间的关联，这些问题，因为它们涉及到西班牙裔美国人（HA）的儿童，仍然研究不足。许多HA儿童生活在不安全和资源不足的社区，没有医疗保险。因此，特别迫切需要对与这部分人口有关的可改变的环境促进因素和保护区的威慑因素进行系统的评估。这种评估需要从发展一种对文化敏感的环境-巴勒斯坦权力机构关系模式和相关措施开始。本研究的目的是：1）确定主要照顾者的做法和邻里环境的方面，可能会影响PA的行为，HA学龄前儿童，和2）制定措施的社会和物理环境，PA发生的位置，这将允许严格的研究环境的影响PA在这一人群中。64名3至5岁儿童的医管局主要照顾者将参加结构化的焦点小组，旨在确定1）照顾者与学龄前儿童PA相关的做法，2）邻里社会环境，3）感知的邻里安全，4）PA场所，5）和活动设备的关键方面。这些信息将用于编制这五个概念的调查表。此外，我们亦会对另外20名医管局的主要照顾者进行质性的认知访问，以完善新制订的问卷。将根据HA居民的百分比、娱乐空间的可用性和社区安全（犯罪风险和交通安全）筛选和选择休斯顿（德克萨斯州）城市的人口普查街区组进行研究。将从选定地区招募240名医管局学龄前儿童主要照顾者。他们将填写新编制的问卷。这些主要照顾者中的一半（n=120）将被要求同意其孩子参与研究。儿童的PA将使用小型活动监测器测量四天。将使用紧凑型全球定位系统监视器和护理人员日记记录PA的位置。还将收集关于家庭社会人口统计、文化适应、家庭主义和民族文化认同的数据。建议的跨学科项目团队结合了测量开发和肥胖，体育活动，家长的做法，并建议与PA在医管局学龄前儿童的建筑环境因素的研究的专业知识。该项目将确定家庭和邻里的特点，有助于PA在HA学龄前儿童，以指导未来的环境和教育干预措施，旨在打击肥胖瘟疫在HA种族群体从生命早期。 公共卫生相关性：儿童肥胖在这个国家已经达到流行病的比例，特别是在西班牙裔美国儿童中。该项目将确定主要照顾者和邻里的特点，有助于肥胖的西班牙裔美国学龄前儿童。这些知识将指导未来的环境和教育干预措施，旨在打击肥胖瘟疫在拉美裔美国人的种族群体从生命早期。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Hispanic Americans are one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the US and the group with the highest prevalence of obesity across all ages. Obesity prevention needs to start from early childhood through the promotion of an active lifestyle. Although there is growing empirical support for associations between aspects of the physical and social environments and physical activity (PA) behavior, these issues, as they pertain to Hispanic-American (HA) children, remain understudied. Many HA children live in unsafe and under-resourced communities and have no health insurance coverage. Hence, it is particularly urgent to conduct a systematic evaluation of modifiable environmental facilitators and deterrents of PA relevant to this segment of the population. Such evaluation needs to start with the development of a culturally-sensitive model of environment- PA relationships and relevant measures. The present study aims to 1) identify primary caregivers' practices and aspects of the neighborhood environment that potentially influence the PA behavior of HA preschool children, and 2) develop measures of the social and physical environments, and locations where PA occurs, that will permit a rigorous study of environmental influences on PA in this population segment. Sixty-four HA primary caregivers of 3-to-5 year old children will participate in structured focus groups aimed at identifying key aspects of 1) caregivers' practices related to preschoolers' PA, 2) the neighborhood social environment, 3) perceived neighborhood safety, 4) places for PA, 5) and active-play equipment. This information will be used to develop questionnaires of these five concepts. Qualitative cognitive interviews will be conducted on another sample of 20 HA primary caregivers in order to refine the newly-developed questionnaires. Census block groups in urban Houston (Texas) will be screened and selected for study based on percentage of HA residents, availability of recreation space, and neighborhood safety (risk of crime and traffic safety). A sample of 240 HA primary caregivers of preschool children will be recruited from the selected areas. They will complete the newly-developed questionnaires. Half of these primary caregivers (n=120) will be asked for consent to their child's participation in the study. Children's PA will be measured for four days using small activity monitors. Locations of PA will be recorded using compact Global Positioning System monitors and caregivers' diaries. Data on family socio-demographics, acculturation, familism, and ethno-cultural identity will also be collected. The proposed trans-disciplinary project team combines expertise in measurement development and study of obesity, physical activity, parental practices, and built environment factors proposed to be related to PA in HA preschoolers. This project will identify family and neighborhood characteristics contributing to PA in HA preschoolers to guide future environmental and educational interventions aimed at combating the obesity plague in the HA ethnic group from early life. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in this country, especially among Hispanic American children. This project will identify primary caregivers' and neighborhood characteristics contributing to obesity in Hispanic-American preschoolers. This knowledge will guide future environmental and educational interventions aimed at combating the obesity plague in the Hispanic-American ethnic group from early life.