Fighting youth obesity one step at a time

Max Chircop wears a GPS tracing unit on his waist. (Nick Pearce Photo)

Deborah O’Brien was walking to a nearby elementary school with her daughters, who were excited about the adventure of carrying umbrellas. As a nurse and an athlete, she often looks for ways to build exercise into her day and hopes to show her daughters the same healthy habits.

A car slowed and the parent of a classmate leaned out his window: “Why are you making them walk in this weather? Get in the car!” When she declined, he accused her of diva-like cruelty before speeding away: “Who are you – Mommy Dearest?!”

Our suburban car culture is often cited as contributing to unhealthy lifestyles, but it is only one factor among many that will be scrutinized in a study looking at the links between the environment and youth obesity.

The $600,000, three-year study is led by Renee Lyons, Canada Research Chair in Health Promotion at the Atlantic Health Promotion Research Centre; and Jill Grant, professor with the School of Planning. The work is funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. When it’s done, researchers hope to identify how governments can develop effective policies or mechanisms to encourage physical activity.

“The government needs good information – if we invest, where will the money make the most significant difference?” says Prof. Grant.

Interviews with parents will weigh different factors in transportation choices – do they drive children to school to save time, to avoid inclement weather or for safety concerns? What else influences these choices: school policies banning skateboards? The lack of bike lanes or racks? Availability of public transportation? Winter sidewalk clearance?

Ultimately, the researchers hope to advise municipal and provincial governments about optimal investments in infrastructure and policy changes to promote activity. Governments already build rinks, dedicate parks and fund activity programs for children – yet the youth obesity level is climbing.

Besides talking with parents, a team of researchers will track the steps taken by hundreds of junior high school students during an entire week.

Junior high school students in half a dozen rural, urban and suburban communities around Nova Scotia will wear accelerometers and GPS tracking devices this spring. Researchers will assess the speed and intensity of movement and hone in on sites where students are physically active. They’ll also look at participation in sports, dietary choices and means of transportation.

The age group was selected because previous studies have looked at elementary and high school students, often revealing that at an early age children are active, but are generally inactive by the time they’re ready to leave the school system. Junior high school, then, is both a transition point in activity levels and a time when life-long habits and choices are established, says Prof. Grant.

“The literature suggests that altering design can affect behaviour. For instance, some designers believe that adding front porches to houses could increase interaction among neighbours. So we’re asking, does the built environment also influence physical activity levels, like biking or walking?” says Prof. Grant. “This definitely does build on a healthy community model, which has amassed some persuasive evidence over the past 15 years.”