Perceived Neighborhood Characteristics and Parental Role in Physical Activity of African American Youth.

Background: Lack of physical activity (PA) serves as one of the contributing factors to pediatric obesity in African American youth. Further examination of the Social Ecological Model (SEM) influences on PA in African American youth is vital. Objective: The purpose of this pilot study is to explore environmental factors, built environment (BE) and parental role, in PA promotion. Methods: Using mixed method data collection, a convenience sample of 28 African American parents/caregivers of school-aged children (6-12 years) enrolled in Chicago Youth Programs (CYP) completed an online survey. Parents/caregivers along with their child participated in focus group sessions (n = 18, parent/child dyads). Parent/child dyads (n = 3) wore monitors (i.e. accelerometer and Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device) to obtain preliminary PA/GPS data. Kruskal-Wallis, Kendall tau and Spearman's rank correlation, and systematic analysis were used for quantitative data and content analysis for qualitative data. Results: In addition to a significant positive correlation between parent's PA and child's PA, (r = 0.76, p < .05), parent's perceived BE had a significant effect on parent's self-reported PA (parent's PA and their child's PA) (p < 0.05). Five major themes emerged, including (1) PA practices, (2) PA importance, (3) role models, (4) neighborhood characteristics, and (5) cons and areas of improvement for PA. Conclusion: Although PA barriers exist, parents emphasized the importance of CYP in promoting PA among African American youth. Working with community-based programs, like CYP, in the development of PA interventions to reduce pediatric obesity is recommended. Future research with an experimental approach can confirm the relationship of BE and parental role on child's PA in African Americans.