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Table 3 Descriptive characteristics and weekday, weekend and after-school physical activity of girls (n = 467), according to level of children’s independent mobility (CIM) and neighbourhood classification (Toronto, Ontario, Canada; 2010–2011)

From: The freedom to explore: examining the influence of independent mobility on weekday, weekend and after-school physical activity behaviour in children living in urban and inner-suburban neighbourhoods of varying socioeconomic status

Girls (n = 467) Old built environment, low SES (n = 135) Old built environment, high SES (n = 89) New built environment, low SES (n = 67) New built environment, high SES (n = 175)
Descriptive characteristics Low CIM High CIM Low CIM High CIM Low CIM High CIM Low CIM High CIM
Sample size 57 78 18 71 31 36 106 69
Age (years) 10.9 (0.1) 11.1 (0.1) 10.8 (0.1) 11.2 (0.1) 11.0 (0.1) 10.9 (0.1) 11.1 (0.1) 11.2 (0.1)
Height (cm) 146.3 (1.2) 147.2 (1.1) 148.3 (2.2) 150.3 (1.1) 145.6 (1.7) 147.5 (1.6) 147.2 (0.9) 146.6 (1.1)
Weight (kg) 39.4 (1.2) 40.6 (1.1) 39.3 (2.2) 40.4 (1.1) 41.4 (1.7) 43.1 (1.6) 41.2 (0.9) 41.2 (1.1)
Body mass index (kg.m-2) 18.3 (0.4) 18.6 (0.4) 17.7 (0.8) 17.8 (0.4) 19.4 (0.6) 19.6 (0.5) 18.8 (0.3) 18.7 (0.4)
BMI category‡
Normal weight, % 84.2 75.6 83.3 83.1 61.3 58.3 68.9 72.5
Overweight or obese, % 15.8 24.4 16.7 16.9 38.7 41.7 31.1 27.5
Weekday physical activity
Total counts (counts.day-1)a 387241 (14183) 408281 (12125) 412248 (25239) 407490 (12708) 353042 (19232) 401537 (17847) 377455 (10401) 405234 (12891)
Light activity (min)b 175.3 (4.1) 180.1 (3.5) 165.0 (7.3) 164.4 (3.7) 171.3 (5.6) 177.8 (5.2) 166.6 (3.0) 173.5 (3.7)
MVPA (min)b 25.1 (1.5) 26.9 (1.3) 31.2 (2.7) 29.2 (1.4) 20.8 (2.1)c 26.8 (1.9) 24.9 (1.1) 26.7 (1.4)
Time spent sedentary (%)a,b 80.9 (0.6) 79.6 (0.5) 79.6 (1.1) 78.1 (0.5) 82.3 (0.8) 80.5 (0.7) 80.0 (0.4) 79.2 (0.5)
Weekend physical activity
Total counts (counts.day-1)a 287499 (19398) 327949 (16582) 343401 (34519) 375982 (17381) 310993 (26304) 310754 (24409) 270592 (14225)c 338612 (17631)
Light activity (min)b 146.8 (5.1) 152.9 (4.4) 155.4 (9.2) 155.1 (4.6) 161.0 (7.0) 155.4 (6.5) 133.5 (3.8) 142.5 (4.7)
MVPA (min)b 16.2 (1.7) 18.3 (1.5) 23.1 (3.1) 26.8 (1.6) 17.2 (2.3) 17.7 (2.2) 16.2 (1.3) 19.6 (1.6)
Time spent sedentary (%)b 83.5 (0.7) 81.9 (0.6) 80.6 (1.3) 78.3 (0.7) 82.0 (1.0) 82.5 (0.9) 83.0 (0.6) 82.2 (0.7)
After-school physical activity
% time sedentarya,b 74.1 (1.0)d 70.8 (0.8) 73.4 (1.7) 73.0 (0.9) 74.0 (1.3) 71.8 (1.2) 75.3 (0.7) 74.1 (0.9)
% time in light activity a,b 22.9 (0.8)c 25.3 (0.7) 22.7 (1.4) 22.8 (0.7) 23.2 (1.1) 24.2 (1.0) 21.5 (0.6) 22.4 (0.7)
% time in MVPAa 3.1 (0.3) 3.9 (0.3) 3.9 (0.6) 4.2 (0.3) 2.8 (0.4)c 4.1 (0.4) 3.2 (0.2) 3.5 (0.3)
  1. Group differences explored using two-factor ANOVAs.
  2. Mean (SE) presented.
  3. High CIM = high children’s independent mobility; low CIM = low children’s independent mobility.
  4. SES socioeconomic status.
  5. aCIM difference (main effect, p < 0.05).
  6. bNeighbourhood difference (main effect, p < 0.05).
  7. cCIM x neighbourhood interaction (p < 0.05); significantly lower in those girls offered low CIM (p < 0.05).
  8. dCIM x neighbourhood interaction (p < 0.05); significantly higher in those girls granted low CIM (p < 0.05).
  9. ‡International Obesity Task Force Classification.
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International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

ISSN: 1479-5868

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