Household Education Is Associated with Barriers for Children Walking and Biking — United States, 2024
- Presentation Day/Time: Tuesday, April 21, 11:30 AM
- Presenter: Heather MacLeish, MPH, MS, BSN, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity
The Issue
- Neighborhood environments affect opportunities for children's physical activity, which can vary by socioeconomic status (SES).
What We Did
- We estimated the national prevalence of adult-reported neighborhood characteristics associated with walking or biking for children by highest household education, an SES proxy.
What We Found
- Most children live near walkable or bikeable routes and parks or playgrounds; however, traffic and crime might limit safe walking or biking, especially among children in lowest education households.
What This Means
- Proximity to routes, parks, and playgrounds alone might not suffice for safe walking or biking. Strategies like Safe Routes to School that address traffic (e.g. separating pedestrians from vehicles) and crime (e.g. street lighting) might be particularly important in low SES areas.
