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Full-Text Articles in Public Health

Environmental Equity Is Child's Play: Mapping Public Provision Of Recreation Opportunities In Urban Neighbourhoods, Jason Gilliland, Martin Holmes, Jennifer Irwin, Patricia Tucker May 2013

Environmental Equity Is Child's Play: Mapping Public Provision Of Recreation Opportunities In Urban Neighbourhoods, Jason Gilliland, Martin Holmes, Jennifer Irwin, Patricia Tucker

Trish Tucker

This paper examines the spatial distribution of recreational opportunities for children and youth in a mid-sized Canadian city (London, Ontario), in relation to the socioeconomic status of neighbourhoods and estimated local need for publicly provided recreation spaces. Public recreation facilities (N = 537) throughout the city were identified, mapped and analysed in a geographic information system. To explore potential socio-environmental inequities, neighbourhoods (N = 22) were characterized by socioeconomic and environmental variables, an index of neighbourhood social distress, a neighbourhood play space needs index, and measures of the prevalence and density of recreational opportunities. The results of the spatial analysis …


Adolescents' Perspectives Of Home, School And Neighborhood Environmental Influences On Physical Activity And Dietary Behaviors, Patricia Tucker, Jennifer Irwin, Jason Gilliland, Meizi He May 2013

Adolescents' Perspectives Of Home, School And Neighborhood Environmental Influences On Physical Activity And Dietary Behaviors, Patricia Tucker, Jennifer Irwin, Jason Gilliland, Meizi He

Trish Tucker

This investigation sought to gain an understanding of how youth perceive neighborhood environmental influences on their physical activity and eating behaviors. This qualitative study targeted a heterogeneous sample of 12- to 14- year-olds in London, Ontario, Canada. Using a semi-structured interview guide, we conducted nine focus groups (n = 60) and used inductive content analysis to investigate their discussions. Most participants discussed their school, parks, and opportunity structures around their homes as influencing their physical activity, and overwhelmingly reported the availability of fast-food restaurants, convenience stores, and slow-food restaurants in their neighborhoods as influencing their eating practices. The descriptive information …


The Impact Of Co-Active Coaching On Physically Inactive 12 To 14 Year Olds In Ontario, Paul Gorczynski, Don Morrow, Jennifer Irwin Jan 2013

The Impact Of Co-Active Coaching On Physically Inactive 12 To 14 Year Olds In Ontario, Paul Gorczynski, Don Morrow, Jennifer Irwin

Donald Morrow

This study assessed the impact of life coaching on physical activity participation, self-efficacy, social support, and perceived behavioural control among physically inactive youth between the ages of 12 and 14 years in London, Ontario. The multiple-baseline across participants single case-experimental design study consisted of five 12 to 14 year olds. Six coaching sessions were conducted over two months by a certified professional Co-active coach. Physical activity increased for one participant while the other participants’ physical activity remained unchanged. No significant changes occurred in self-efficacy, social support, and perceived behavioural control with specific regard to becoming more physically active. Results indicted …


Tobacco Smoke Exposure And Levels Of Urinary Metals In The U.S. Youth And Adult Population: The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (Nhanes) 1999–2004, Patricia Richter, Ellen Bishop, Jiantong Wang, Monica Swahn May 2012

Tobacco Smoke Exposure And Levels Of Urinary Metals In The U.S. Youth And Adult Population: The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (Nhanes) 1999–2004, Patricia Richter, Ellen Bishop, Jiantong Wang, Monica Swahn

Monica H. Swahn

We assessed 12 urine metals in tobacco smoke-exposed and not exposed National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants. Our analysis included age, race/ethnicity, and poverty status. Gender and racial/ethnic differences in cadmium and lead and creatinine-adjusted and unadjusted data for group comparisons are presented. Smokers' had higher cadmium, lead, antimony, and barium levels than nonsmokers. Highest lead levels were in the youngest subjects. Lead levels among adults with high second-hand smoke exposure equaled smokers. Older smokers had cadmium levels signaling the potential for cadmium-related toxicity. Given the potential toxicity of metals, our findings complement existing research on exposure to chemicals …


Associations Between Electronic Media Use And Involvement In Violence, Alcohol And Drug Use Among United States High School Students, Maxine Denniston, Monica Swahn, Marci Hertz, Lisa Romero May 2012

Associations Between Electronic Media Use And Involvement In Violence, Alcohol And Drug Use Among United States High School Students, Maxine Denniston, Monica Swahn, Marci Hertz, Lisa Romero

Monica H. Swahn

Objective: We identified associations between time spent watching television and time spent playing video or computer games or using computers and involvement in interpersonal violence, alcohol and drug use in a nationally representative sample of United States high school students. Methods: We analyzed data from the 2007 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Exposure variables were time spent watching television and time spent playing computer or video games or using computers (hereafter denoted as "computer/video game use") on an average school day; outcome variables included multiple measures assessing involvement in violence and alcohol or drug use. Chi-square tests were used to …