Are perceived neighborhood hazards a barrier to physical activity in children?

Background: We hypothesized that children's perceptions of more neighborhoo d hazards would be associated with less physical activity, less aerobic fit ness, and a higher body mass index. Objective: To examine the association between a hazardous neighborhood cont ext and physical activity in children. Methods: Fourth-grade students (n = 796) of diverse ethnic and economic bac kgrounds completed measures of neighborhood hazards, self-reported physical activity, physical fitness, height, and weight. Parents (n = 518) complete d telephone interviews and provided data on their education level and occup ation. Results: As expected, children from families of lower socioeconomic status perceived significantly more neighborhood hazards. Contrary to our hypothes is, the perception of more hazards was significantly associated with more r eported physical activity. This finding was not explained by school heterog eneity, alteration of the hazards measure, or differences in socioeconomic status. Conclusion: To further examine the relationship between neighborhood hazard s and physical activity, we suggest that future studies include assessments of sedentary behavior, parental fear of violence, parental regulation of c hildren's leisure activities, and cost and quality of available play areas and organized sports.