Validating the Perceived Active School Travel Enablers and Barriers-Parent (PASTEB-P) Questionnaire to Support Intervention Programming and Research.

A child's ability to participate in active school travel (AST) is complicated by several factors. Of particular note are parental controls, which are informed by their perceptions of the local built and social environments, assessments of their child's skills, and convenience preferences, among other considerations. However, there is currently a lack of AST-specific scales that include validated parental perception measures related to such notable barriers and enablers, or those that tend to frame their AST decision-making processes.

Perceived neighbourhood safety moderates the relationship between active school travel and health-related quality of life.

There is a dearth of studies examining associations between active school travel and children's health-related quality of life. Additionally, studies have not examined how perceived neighbourhood characteristics may moderate these associations. This study aims to examine the relationship between regular active school travel, children's physical and psychosocial health-related quality of life, and the potential moderating effects of their perceived neighbourhood safety (interpersonal and traffic).

Examining the Correlates of Adolescent Food and Nutrition Knowledge.

Food literacy is a set of skills and knowledge that are integral to diet. It is common among teenagers to not have basic food literacy skills needed to consume a healthy diet. This study examined: (1) the current state of food and nutrition knowledge among adolescents 13-19 years of age in the census metropolitan area of London, ON, Canada; and (2) correlates of food knowledge and nutrition knowledge among adolescents.

Examining how changes in provincial policy on vape marketing impacted the distribution of vaping advertisements near secondary schools in London, Ontario.

Objectives: On January 1, 2020, the Government of Ontario passed a regulation banning vaping advertisements by retailers, apart from specialty shops. A motivation for this ban was to limit youth exposure to vaping advertisements. The primary goal of this research was to evaluate the impact of this ban on the number and density of vaping advertisements surrounding secondary schools.

Measuring Temporal Differences in Rural Canadian Children's Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity.

The purpose of this study was to measure the factors that influence children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during school curriculum time, recess time, and outside school time in a rural area. During the Fall and Winter of 2016, 34 boys and 55 girls aged 8-14 years from rural communities in rural Northwestern Ontario participated in the Spatial Temporal Environment and Activity Monitoring project. The children's MVPA was measured using an accelerometer, and child-level demographic, behavioral, and environmental data were gathered from surveys, passively logging global positioning units, and municipal datasets.

Examining Factors of Accelerometer-Measured Sedentary Time in a Sample of Rural Canadian Children.

The aim of this study was to examine potential child-level and day-level factors of accelerometer-measured sedentary time in a sample of rural Canadian children. Children ( = 86) from rural Northwestern Ontario participated in this study. Children's sedentary times were identified and logged using an accelerometer.

Understanding factors associated with children achieving recommended amount of MVPA on weekdays and weekend days.

Low levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) are consistently reported for children from industrialized countries. Perennially inadequate levels of MVPA have been linked to increased chronic disease risks. Very few studies have compared physical activity levels among children from geographically diverse places, and how they differ on weekdays versus weekends.

Examining weather-related factors on physical activity levels of children from rural communities.

Objective: The objective was to examine the influence of weather on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and light physical activity (LPA) levels of children aged 8-14 years from rural communities, an understudied Canadian population.

Methods: Children (n = 90) from four communities in rural Northwestern Ontario participated in this study between September and December 2016. Children's MVPA and LPA were measured using an Actical accelerometer and demographic data were gathered from surveys of children and their parents.

Geographic variation in preventable hospitalisations across Canada: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: The objective of this study is to examine the magnitude and pattern of small-area geographic variation in rates of preventable hospitalisations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSC) across Canada (excluding Québec).

Design And Setting: A cross-sectional study conducted in Canada (excluding Québec) using data from the 2006 Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohort (CanCHEC) linked prospectively to hospitalisation records from the Discharge Abstract Database (DAD) for the three fiscal years: 2006-2007, 2007-2008 and 2008-2009.

Primary Outcome Measure: Preventable hospitalisations (ACSC).

Promoting healthy beverage consumption habits among elementary school children: results of the Healthy Kids Community Challenge 'Water Does Wonders' interventions in London, Ontario.

Intervention: This study examines the impact of London's Healthy Kids Community Challenge (HKCC) 'Water Does Wonders' interventions, which combined water infrastructure and education programs.

Research Question: How effective were the HKCC interventions at increasing water and decreasing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption among grade 4-8 children in London, Ontario?

Methods: Non-randomized controlled trial. Children's knowledge and beverage intake were measured before and after the interventions were implemented during the 2016-2017 school year.

If You Make it Free, Will They Come? Using a Physical Activity Accessibility Model to Understand the Use of a Free Children's Recreation Pass.

Background: Children's sedentary lifestyles and low physical activity levels may be countered using population-level interventions. This study examines factors influencing the use of a free community-wide physical activity access pass for grade 5 students (G5AP).

Methods: A natural experiment with longitudinal data collection.

Geospatial analyses of adverse birth outcomes in Southwestern Ontario: Examining the impact of environmental factors.

Background: A growing body of research has examined the association between exposure to environmental factors during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes; however, many studies do not control for potential covariates and findings vary considerably.

Objective: To test the relative influence of environmental factors including exposure to air pollution, major roads, highways, industry, parks, greenspaces, and food retailers on low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth (PTB) in Southwestern Ontario (SWO), Canada, while accounting for medical (e.g.

Comparing Physical Activity Behavior of Children During School Between Balanced and Traditional School Day Schedules.

Background: Some Canadian schools have modified their daily schedules from the traditional school day (TSD) schedule (two 15-minute breaks and one 60-minute break) to a balanced school day (BSD) schedule (two 40-minute breaks). While this change increases daily planning and instructional time, it also changes the amount of time available for moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).

Methods: This study uses a case-control design to examine differences in objectively measured MVPA between children in 3 schools using a BSD schedule and 3 schools using a TSD schedule.

Exploring the Effect of Perceptions on Children's Physical Activity in Varying Geographic Contexts: Using a Structural Equation Modelling Approach to Examine a Cross-Sectional Dataset.

Most Canadian children are not meeting the recommended 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day. Research suggests that children's perceptions of their environment have an influence on their physical activity behaviours, but there is a lack of generalizability among previous work. The purpose of this study was to assess the mediating effect of children's perceptions of barriers to physical activity on the relationship between their environments and their level of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (measured with accelerometers).

Context Matters: Examining children's perceived barriers to physical activity across varying Canadian environments.

Children's perceptions of their environment have been associated with their physical activity (PA) levels, however a better understanding of the formation of perceptions within different contexts is needed. This will help to inform decision making related to physical inactivity trends in Canadian children. We examined socio-ecological factors influencing children's perceptions of barriers to PA in Ontario, Canada.

Understanding child and parent perceptions of barriers influencing children's active school travel.

Background: Physical activity plays a fundamental role in the health and well-being of children. Walking is the most common form of physical activity and the journey to and from school provides an opportunity for children to be active every day. This study examines how child and parent perceptions of barriers to active school travel influences children's behaviour.

Without Compromising Integrity: Research and Planning Around the Primary Healthcare Landscape in Southwestern Ontario.

Primary care is the foundation of any high-performing healthcare system. We report a subset of findings that characterize the existing primary care system in southwestern Ontario, Canada, and describe the experiences of primary healthcare providers (PHCPs). Between December 2015 and January 2016, in collaboration with the South West Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), we conducted a mixed-methods research study to gain a better understanding of experiences in providing primary care to support systems planning for primary care.

Children and Nature: Linking Accessibility of Natural Environments and Children's Health-Related Quality of Life.

A growing body of research suggests that increasing children's nature interactions can have positive benefits for their health-related quality of life (HRQOL); however, researchers have yet to examine how geographical context influences this relationship. The purpose of this study was to examine individual-level and environmental factors that are associated with HRQOL of children from different geographical contexts. Data were collected for 851 children from 34 elementary schools in Ontario, Canada.

Examining individual, interpersonal, and environmental influences on children's physical activity levels.

The purpose of this study was to explore individual-level socio-demographic factors and interpersonal-level factors related to social support, as well as the potential role of neighborhood and school environments that may influence the physical activity (PA) levels of children (ages 9-11). Child and parent questionnaires included individual and interpersonal factors, and PA behaviour. Home postal codes were used to determine the neighbourhood the child resides within, as well as their geographic accessibility to recreation opportunities.

Exploring the effect of parental influence on children's physical activity: The mediating role of children's perceptions of parental support.

The purpose of this study was to test a conceptual model linking parental support and parental physical activity (PA), with children's perception of parental support and children's PA. Baseline data were drawn from the Grade 5 ACT-i-Pass community-based PA intervention conducted in London, Ontario between May and October 2014. Parent and child PA were measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children, respectively.

Examining How Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status, Geographic Accessibility, and Informational Accessibility Influence the Uptake of a Free Population-Level Physical Activity Intervention for Children.

Purpose: To evaluate the uptake of ACT-i-Pass (G5AP), a physical activity (PA) intervention that provides free access to PA opportunities, and to understand the extent to which the intervention provides equitable access to children.

Design: This study evaluates the differences in uptake (ie, enrollment) by comparing postal codes of registrants with the postal codes of all eligible children.

Setting: Children were provided the opportunity to register for the G5AP during the 2014 to 2015 school year in London, Canada.

Using GPS and activity tracking to reveal the influence of adolescents' food environment exposure on junk food purchasing.

Objectives: This study examines the influence of adolescents' exposure to unhealthy food outlets on junk food purchasing during trips between home and school, with particular attention to how exposure and purchasing differ according to child's biological sex, mode of transportation, and direction to or from school.

Methods: Between 2010 and 2013, students (n = 654) aged 9-13 years from 25 schools in London and Middlesex County, ON, completed a socio-demographic survey and an activity diary (to identify food purchases), and were observed via a global positioning system for 2 weeks (to track routes for trips to/from school). Spatial data on routes and purchase data were integrated with a validated food outlet database in a geographic information system, and exposure was measured as the minutes a child spent within 50 m of an unhealthy food outlet (i.

Barriers to Walking: An Investigation of Adults in Hamilton (Ontario, Canada).

This study investigates perceived barriers to walking using data collected from 179 randomly-selected adults between the ages of 18 and 92 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. A survey (Hamilton Active Living Study) asked questions about socio-demographics, walking, and barriers to walking. A series of binary logit models are estimated for twenty potential barriers to walking.

Built Environment Influences of Children's Physical Activity: Examining Differences by Neighbourhood Size and Sex.

Neighbourhoods can facilitate or constrain moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among children by providing or restricting opportunities for MVPA. However, there is no consensus on how to define a child's neighbourhood. This study examines the influence of the neighbourhood built environment on objectively measured MVPA among 435 children (aged 9-14 years) in London (ON, Canada).

The ACT-i-Pass study protocol: How does free access to recreation opportunities impact children's physical activity levels?

Background: Physical activity during childhood is associated with a multitude of physical, behavioural, and psychological health benefits. Identification of effective population level strategies for increasing children's physical activity levels is critical for improving the overall health of Canadians. The overall objective of this study is to assess how a naturally-occurring, community-level intervention which offers Grade 5 children in London, Canada a free access pass to physical activity opportunities (facilities and programs) for an entire school year can lead to increased physical activity among recipients.