Introduction
Routine adolescent physical activity is a well-established predictor of positive health
across the lifespan, although wide disparities in youth physical activity engagement
persist across sex and race/ethnicity. Transportation barriers may be related to adolescents’
ability to access physical activity opportunities. This study examines the association
between neighborhood public transportation usage and adolescent physical activity
using a national sample.
Methods
Cross-sectional data were drawn from the Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating
study (2014), a national sample of adolescents aged 12–17 years. Linear regression
examined the association between neighborhood public transportation usage on the basis
of neighborhood-level public transportation use and individual-level youth moderate-to-vigorous
physical activity minutes per week. Models were developed for weekday, weekend, and
combined moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for all youth and across sex and race/ethnicity
subgroups. Analyses were run in 2020.
Results
The final analytic data set included 1,247 adolescents aged 12–17 years (71% non-Hispanic
White, 49% male, mean age=14.52 [SD=1.59] years). Adjusted models showed a stronger
magnitude of association between high neighborhood public transportation usage and
both weekday (β=8.79, 95% CI=1.00, 16.59) and combined (β=13.74, 95% CI=1.14, 26.35)
moderate-to-vigorous physical activity than between low/moderate neighborhood public
transportation usage and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. The magnitude of
the neighborhood public transportation usage–moderate-to-vigorous physical activity
association was strongest among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic adolescent girls.
Conclusions
This study found an association between neighborhood public transportation usage and
adolescent moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, particularly among non-Hispanic
Black and Hispanic adolescent girls. Findings from this research have the potential
to inform targeted interventions for promoting adolescent physical activity to ultimately
reduce chronic health disparities across the lifespan.
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: August 13, 2021
Identification
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© 2021 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
