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PubMed2006

Personal, family, social, and environmental correlates of active commuting to school.

BACKGROUND: Active commuting to school may be an important opportunity for children to accumulate adequate physical activity for improved cardiovascular risk factors, enhanced bone health, and psychosocial well-being. The purpose of this study was to examine personal, family, social, and environmental correlates of active commuting to school among children. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 235 children aged 5 to 6 years and 677 children aged 10 to 12 years from 19 elementary schools in Melbourne, Australia. Self-administered questionnaires were completed by parents, and the older children. The shortest possible routes to school were examined using a geographic information system. RESULTS: Among both age groups, negative correlates of active commuting to school included parental perception of few other children in the neighborhood and no lights or crossings for their child to use, and an objectively assessed busy road barrier en route to school. In younger children, an objectively assessed steep incline en route to school was negatively associated with walking or cycling to school. Good connectivity en route to school was negatively associated with walking or cycling to school among older children. Among both age groups, children were more likely to actively commute to school if their route was <800 meters. There were no associations with perceived energy levels or enjoyment of physical activity, weight status, or family factors. CONCLUSIONS: For children, creating child-friendly communities and providing skills to safely negotiate the environment may be important. Environmental correlates of active transport in children and adults may differ and warrant further investigation.

Bicycling↗
PubMed2006

An investigation of psychological, social and environmental correlates of obesity and weight gain in young women.

OBJECTIVES: This study explored the biological, psychological, social and environmental correlates of young women's current weight and retrospective 2-year weight change. METHODS: A total of 790 young women (mean age 26.8 years), sampled from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, provided self-reported data on their height and weight, sociodemographics and a range of biological, psychological, social and environmental variables. RESULTS: Several variables from all domains (biological, psychological, social support and environmental) were correlated with higher body mass index, and less strongly greater 2-year weight change. Key correlates included the tendency to never put on weight, no matter what; self-efficacy for avoiding weight gain, and for healthy eating; attention paid to weight; family support and friends' support/sabotage of physical activity/healthy eating; and perceived difficulty of taking the stairs rather than the elevator as part of the daily routine. CONCLUSIONS: Intervention strategies aimed at reducing weight gain and obesity may need to focus on social and environmental, as well as psychological factors; however, further research is necessary to confirm these findings given that a number of hypothesized associations were not observed.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Relative influences of individual, social environmental, and physical environmental correlates of walking.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to examine individual, social environmental, and physical environmental correlates of walking. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among healthy workers and homemakers residing in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. RESULTS: Most respondents walked for transport or recreation, but only 17.2% did a sufficient amount of walking to accrue health benefits. After adjustment, the relative influences of individual, social environmental, and physical environmental factors were found to be almost equally important. CONCLUSIONS: Although walking is popular, few people do enough walking to benefit their health. Those who walk as well as engage in other physical activities appear more likely to achieve recommended levels of activity. Promoting walking may require a comprehensive strategy.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Genetic and environmental correlations between obesity and body fat distribution in adult male twins.

Genetic and environmental correlations between measures of obesity [body mass index (BMI)] and body fat distribution [waist/hip ratio (WHR) and subscapular/triceps ratio (SSTR)] were examined in 133 monozygotic and 129 dizygotic pairs of elderly white male twins, age 59 to 70 years, participating in the third cardiovascular examination of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Twin Study. The BMI, WHR, and SSTR fat measures were significantly correlated in these twins, with BMI more closely related to WHR (r = 0.52) than to SSTR (r = 0.18), and the WHR-SSTR association intermediate (r = 0.27). Multivariate genetic analyses of the three indexes using the LISREL modeling approach indicated a significant heritable component for each fatness variable, h2 = 0.66, 0.46, and 0.25 for BMI, WHR, and SSTR, respectively, and a significant correlation between genetic influences on BMI and WHR (genetic r = 0.51). The common genetic component accounted for 54% of the observed BMI-WHR correlation, suggesting that overall obesity and abdominal adiposity distribution are mediated to some extent by similar genetic influences. The genetic correlations between SSTR and BMI and between SSTR and WHR were not significantly different from zero, suggesting that genetic influences on skinfold distribution are independent of those on abdominal body fat and overall obesity. The genetic findings support the hypothesis that the WHR and SSTR indexes do not assess the same dimensions of fat patterning.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2006

Genetic and environmental correlations between longevity and litter size in rabbits.

An estimation of the genetic and environmental correlations between prolificacy (kits born alive and number of kits at weaning) and functional longevity in a population selected for litter size at weaning since 1992 was carried out. The method is only an approximation, but suggests that genetically longevity and litter size are not antagonistic objectives in breeding programmes, because the estimated genetic correlations are not significantly different from zero.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Gender differences in perceived environmental correlates of physical activity.

BACKGROUND: Limited research has been conducted on gender differences in perceived environmental correlates of physical activity (PA). The purpose of this study was to explore the potential role of gender in the link between perceived environment and PA. METHODS: Using a telephone-administered survey, data was collected on leisure time physical activity (LTPA), perceptions of the neighbourhood environment, and self-efficacy in a representative sample of 1209 adults from the province of Alberta, Canada. LTPA was regressed on ten measures of perceived neighbourhood environment and self-efficacy in a series of logistic regressions. RESULTS: Women were more likely than men to perceive their neighbourhood as unsafe to go for walks at night (chi2 = 67.46, p < 0.001) and to report seeing people being active in their neighbourhood (chi2 = 6.73, p < 0.01). Conversely, women were less likely to perceive easy access to places for PA (chi2 = 11.50, p < 0.01) and availability of places to buy things within easy walking distance from home (chi2 = 4.30, p < 0.05). Adjusting for age, education, income, and place of residence, access to places for PA (OR = 2.49) and interesting things to look at in the neighbourhood (OR = 1.94), were associated with higher levels of LTPA in men. Access to places for PA (OR = 2.63) and reporting seeing people being active (OR = 1.50) were associated with increased LTPA among women. After controlling for sociodemographic variables and self-efficacy, the presence of shops and places to buy things within easy walking distance from home (OR = 1.73), interesting things to look at in the neighbourhood (OR = 1.65), and access to places for PA (OR = 1.82) were associated with higher levels of LTPA in men. Among women, no significant relationships were observed between perceived environment and LTPA after adjusting for self-efficacy. CONCLUSION: The results provide additional support for the use of models in which gender is treated as a potential moderator of the link between the perceived environment and PA. Further, the results suggest the possibility of differential interventions to increase PA based on factors associated with gender.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Spatial Scale of Population Synchrony: Environmental Correlation versus Dispersal and Density Regulation.

A stochastic model is developed to analyze the equilibrium spatial pattern of population synchrony, the correlation of temporal fluctuations in population density between localities. The expected population dynamics and the distribution of individual dispersal distance are homogeneous in space. Environmental stochasticity is caused by temporal fluctuations in the intrinsic rate of increase and/or carrying capacity of local populations that are correlated in space (but not time), the environmental correlation decreasing with distance. We analyze a linearized model for small fluctuations. Employing the standard deviation of a function in a given direction as a measure of scale, the spatial scale of population synchrony, lρ, is related to the spatial scales of environmental correlation, le, and individual dispersal, l, by the simple general formula [Formula: see text], where m is the individual dispersal rate and γ is the strength of population density regulation (or rate of return to equilibrium, [Formula: see text] in the logistic model). Relative to environmental correlation (the Moran effect), the contribution of individual dispersal to the spatial scale of synchrony is magnified by the ratio of the individual dispersal rate to the strength of density regulation. Thus, even if the scale of individual dispersal is smaller than that of environmental correlation, dispersal can substantially increase the scale of population synchrony for weakly regulated populations.

Moran effect↗
PubMed1981

Quantitative genetics of skeletal nonmetric traits in the rhesus macaques on Cayo Santiago. II. Phenotypic, genetic, and environmental correlations between traits.

The general lack of phenotypic correlation among skeletal nonmetric traits has been interpreted as indicating a lack of genetic correlation among these traits. Nonmetric traits scored on animals in the skeletal collection of rhesus macaques from Cayo Santiago are used to calculate phenotypic, genetic, and environmental correlations between traits. The results show that even when phenotypic correlations are low, there may be large, significant genetic correlations among these traits. The genetic correlation pattern suggests that genes which affect nonmetric trait variation act primarily at a local level in the cranium, even though there are genes with pleiotropic effects on skeletal nonmetric traits throughout the cranium. Environmental and phenotypic correlations do not show this neighborhood pattern of correlation.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Biological, social, and environmental correlates of preschool development.

Baseline data from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY, a population-based study of child health, development and well-being), were used to determine biological, social and environmental correlates of poor development among preschool children. A total weighted sample of 1233 500 (n = 6982 unweighted) children aged from birth to 3 years were studied. Developmental attainment was measured by the motor, social and development (MSD) scale. Children scoring amongst the lowest 15% for their age group were categorized as having poor developmental attainment (PDA). Correlates of PDA were determined using logistic regression. The MSD scale may not be discriminatory enough to identify PDA in children aged < 1 years. Among children aged between 1 and 3 years, biological factors remain important correlates of PDA, whereas the timing of social and environmental factors appears important to their effects on developmental attainment. The findings suggest a complex relationship between risk factors and developmental outcomes. Correlates of PDA vary according to the age of a child. Social and environmental factors appear to play a larger role among older children. Prospective studies are required to determine the effect of change in risk factor profiles on child development.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed2005

Reliability and validity of a questionnaire to measure personal, social and environmental correlates of fruit and vegetable intake in 10-11-year-old children in five European countries.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the internal consistency of the scales and the test-retest reliability and predictive validity of behaviour theory-based constructs measuring personal, social and environmental correlates of fruit and vegetable intake in 10-11-year-old children. DESIGN: Test-retest with one-week interval. SETTING: Five European countries: Norway, Spain, Denmark, Portugal, Belgium. SUBJECTS: Three hundred and twenty-six children completed the questionnaire during class hours. RESULTS: For the total sample across all countries, the test-retest reliability was good to very good (intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) >0.60) for 12 out of the 15 fruit constructs and also for 12 out of the 15 vegetable constructs. Acceptable ICCs, ranging between 0.50 and 0.59, were found for the remaining constructs. Test-retest reliability was comparable across countries. Only in Portugal were some significantly lower ICCs found for some constructs (knowledge and barriers related to fruit, general self-efficacy related to fruit and vegetables) compared with the other countries. Cronbach's alpha values were moderate to high (range 0.52 to 0.89) with the exception of the general self-efficacy scale, which had a value below 0.50 for both fruit (alpha=0.42) and vegetables (alpha=0.49). Spearman correlations with intake ranged between -0.16 and 0.54 for personal determinants and between 0.05 and 0.38 for environmental determinants. Compared with other studies, predictive validity can be considered moderate to good. CONCLUSIONS: The questionnaire provides a reliable, valid and easy-to-administer tool for assessing personal, social and environmental factors of potential influence on fruit and vegetable intake in 10-11-year-olds.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1982

Genetic, phenotypic and environmental correlations among performance traits estimated from Limousin field data.

Field records from the North American Limousin Foundation performance testing program provided three data sets for the estimation of genetic, phenotypic and environmental correlations among several performance traits. The traits were: birth weight, preweaning average daily gain, adjusted 205-d weaning weight, postweaning average daily gain, adjusted 365-d yearling weight, weight/d of age, preweaning relative growth and postweaning relative growth. Birth weight had a positive genetic relationship with all measures of growth except pre- and postweaning relative growth. The genetic relationship between preweaning relative growth and birth weight was small and negative. Postweaning relative growth had little genetic relationship to birth weight. The genetic relationships among the various growth characteristics were positive, except for those involving pre- and postweaning relative growth. Postweaning relative growth was negatively associated with preweaning average daily gain and adjusted 205-d weight. Preweaning relative growth had little genetic association with adjusted 205-d weight, adjusted 365-d weight or weight/day of age.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

A systematic review of environmental correlates of obesity-related dietary behaviors in youth.

There is increasing interest in the role the environment plays in shaping the dietary behavior of youth, particularly in the context of obesity prevention. An overview of environmental factors associated with obesity-related dietary behaviors among youth is needed to inform the development of interventions. A systematic review of observational studies on environmental correlates of energy, fat, fruit/vegetable, snack/fast food and soft drink intakes in children (4-12 years) and adolescents (13-18 years) was conducted. The results were summarized using the analysis grid for environments linked to obesity. The 58 papers reviewed mostly focused on sociocultural and economical-environmental factors at the household level. The most consistent associations were found between parental intake and children's fat, fruit/vegetable intakes, parent and sibling intake with adolescent's energy and fat intakes and parental education with adolescent's fruit/vegetable intake. A less consistent but positive association was found for availability and accessibility on children's fruit/vegetable intake. Environmental factors are predominantly studied at the household level and focus on sociocultural and economic aspects. Most consistent associations were found for parental influences (parental intake and education). More studies examining environmental factors using longitudinal study designs and validated measures are needed for solid evidence to inform interventions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Demographic and environmental correlates of pedestrian injury collisions: a spatial analysis.

Pedestrian injury collisions often occur when and where large numbers of pedestrians travel within complex roadway systems with high traffic flow. The pedestrian injury literature suggests a number of individual and environmental correlates of injury risks, however studies in this area have primarily focused upon demographic differences (e.g. related to age) and a few global characteristics of the roadway system (e.g. aspects of pedestrian traffic). Studies in which the geography of communities has been considered are primarily descriptive, identifying pedestrian injury 'hot spots'. The current study more extensively explores some geographic correlates of pedestrian injury collisions through a spatial analysis of data from the city of San Francisco, CA. A spatial autocorrelation corrected regression model was used to determine factors associated with pedestrian traffic injury in 1990. The study used a geographic information system to map locations of pedestrian injuries, and environmental and demographic characteristics of the city across census tract units. In addition to a number of demographic factors (gender, age, marital status, education, income and unemployment), it was proposed that several environmental features of the city would be related to injury rates (high traffic flow, complex roadway systems, greater population densities and alcohol availability). Results of the study showed that pedestrian injury rates were related to traffic flow, population density, age composition of the local population, unemployment, gender and education. Availability of alcohol through bars was directly related to pedestrian injury collisions in which the pedestrian had been drinking alcohol.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2003

Personal, social, and environmental correlates of physical activity in North Carolina Latina immigrants.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the correlates of physical activity for Latinas (Latino women) that provide critical information for developing culturally competent interventions. The objective of this study was to describe physical activity and the personal, social environmental, and physical environmental correlates for Latina immigrants. METHODS: As part of the multisite Women's Cardiovascular Health Network Project, 671 first-generation Latina immigrants, aged 20 to 50 years who were living in North Carolina, completed an in-person interview. All statistical models were adjusted for acculturation, with self-reported physical activity as the dependent variable. RESULTS: Only 37% of the Latinas reported meeting vigorous or moderate recommendations for physical activity, with 42% insufficiently active and 21% inactive. Women with more self-efficacy (confidence that they could exercise more) were less likely to meet recommendations for activity. Social environmental factors, such as knowing people who exercise or seeing people exercise in the neighborhood, were more likely among women who reported any activity or who met recommendations for activity. Physical environmental factors, such as vehicular traffic and street lighting, were not strongly associated with physical activity. Living in a community where places to exercise were available was associated with any activity. CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the importance of understanding personal characteristics and addressing factors that reflects the social and physical environment where Latinas live. Future programs aimed at increasing physical activity among Latina immigrants should consider such factors, particularly factors from the social environment.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Personal, social, and environmental correlates of physical activity in rural Midwestern white women.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is a promising component of cardiovascular disease prevention among women. Research in this area is expanding, but much needs to be done to assess subgroups of the population (e.g., people living in rural environments). The study goal was to determine personal, social environmental, and physical environmental correlates of physical activity among rural white women aged 20 to 50 years. METHODS: A survey was conducted by using randomly selected numbers in rural areas in Missouri and Illinois. The Women and Physical Activity Survey was administered to assess physical activity status and personal, social environmental, and physical environmental factors. Physical activity status was the dependent variable in analyses comparing inactive women with women who performed any activity and comparing women who met current recommendations for moderate or vigorous physical activity with those women did not meet recommendations. RESULTS: Of the 1000 women in the study, 52% met recommendations for physical activity, 40.1% were insufficiently active, and 7.9% were inactive. Younger women (20-29 years) were more likely than the oldest age (40-50 years) category to perform some activity than to be inactive. Women in excellent or very good general health were much more likely to perform some physical activity than to be inactive. Higher income and employment were factors in meeting the recommendations. Attending religious services and a higher social roles score were significant factors. Having street lighting was the only physical environmental factor that emerged as statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: More research is needed on the assessment of important issues regarding physical activity in women. Interventions should use assessment information to tailor programs and to address personal, social environmental, and physical environmental components.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Genetic and environmental correlations of bone mineral density at different skeletal sites in females and males.

Bone mineral density (BMD) is a complex trait having genetic and environmental determination. There are gender-specific differences in BMD measurements, and the rate of BMD changes with age and lifestyle. Previous studies have shown that the genetic loci underlying BMD variation are gender-specific in mice and humans. Our study aimed to investigate correlations between BMD at the spine, hip, and ultradistal radius (UD) and degree of shared genetic and environmental factors among them in females and males, separately. For a large sample of 4,489 subjects containing 2,667 females and 1,822 males from 512 Caucasian pedigrees, we performed bivariate variance decomposition analyses. Our results showed that the genetic correlations (rhoG), environmental correlations (rhoE), and phenotypical correlations (rhoP) were all significant and positive. Strong genetic correlations were observed in both female and male groups, ranging 0.590-0.738 and 0.583-0.773, respectively. Genetic correlations of BMD at the spine, hip, and UD were generally higher than environmental correlations. In summary, we are the first to test the genetic and environmental correlations in females and males, separately. It is suggested that the phenotypic correlations of BMDs at the three different sites may have more genetic than environmental components. BMDs at the spine and hip may share more environmental components in females than males. We did not detect gender-specific difference in spine/UD and hip/UD. It is also indicated that the environmental factors that preserve or increase BMD at one skeletal site may have similar beneficial effects on some other skeletal sites and vice versa.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed2006

Genetic and environmental correlations between obesity phenotypes and age at menarche.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the extent that the genetic and environmental factors contribute to the phenotypic correlations between obesity traits and age at menarche (AAM), and also to examine the influence of AAM on obesity in both pre- and postmenopausal women. METHODS: F ive hundred and twelve pedigrees with 2667 Caucasian female subjects from two to four generations were recruited. Fat mass and lean mass (both in kg) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanner. Body mass index (BMI) (kg/m(2)) was calculated. We performed bivariate quantitative genetic analyses in the total sample containing 2667 Caucasian women. We also selected 206 unrelated premenopausal women and 140 unrelated postmenopausal women from the total sample, and computed the respective phenotypic correlation between obesity and AAM in these two subgroups. RESULTS: For fat mass, lean mass and BMI, we detected their significant negative genetic correlations with AAM after adjustment for significant covariates, which were -0.3170 (P<0.001), -0.1721 (P<0.05) and -0.3665 (P<0.001), respectively. However, their environmental correlations with AAM were all nonsignificant (P>0.05), ranging from -0.0016 to 0.0192. In the premenopausal subgroup, significant associations were observed between fat mass and AAM (rho=-0.231, P<0.01) as well as between BMI and AAM (rho=-0.257, P<0.01). In the postmenopausal subgroup, no such associations were observed. CONCLUSION: Our results for the first time suggested that significant phenotypic association between obesity phenotypes and AAM is mainly attributable to shared genetic rather than environmental factors, and AAM may have stronger effects on obesity phenotypes in pre- than in postmenopausal women.

Adipose Tissue↗