Cited by 54Physical Activity and HealthSchool Health and Nursing EducationUrban Transport and Accessibility

A multilevel examination of gender differences in the association between features of the school environment and physical activity among a sample of grades 9 to 12 students in Ontario, Canada

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Hobin, Erin P, Leatherdale, Scott T, Manske, Steve, Dubin, Joel A, Elliott, Susan, Veugelers, Paul·2012·BMC Public Health

Abstract

Background: Creating school environments that support student physical activity (PA) is a key recommendation of policy-makers to increase youth PA. Given males are more active than females at all ages, it has been suggested that investigating gender differences in the features of the environment that associate with PA may help to inform gender-focused PA interventions and reduce the gender disparity in PA. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to explore gender differences in the association between factors of the school environment and students' time spent in PA. Methods: Among a sample of 10781 female and 10973 male students in grades 9 to 12 from 76 secondary schools in Ontario, Canada, student- and school-level survey PA data were collected and supplemented with GIS-derived measures of the built environment within 1-km buffers of the 76 schools. Results: Findings from the present study revealed significant differences in the time male and female students spent in PA as well as in some of the school- and student-level factors associated with PA. Results of the gender-specific multilevel analyses indicate schools should consider providing an alternate room for PA, especially for providing flexibility activities directed at female students. Schools should also consider offering daily physical education programming to male students in senior grades and providing PA promotion initiatives targeting obese male students. Conclusions: Although most variation in male and female students' time spent in PA lies between students within schools, there is sufficient between-school variation to be of interest to practitioners and policy-makers. More research investigating gender differentials in environment factors associated with youth PA are warranted.

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Authors
Hobin, E. P., Leatherdale, S. T., Manske, S., Dubin, J. A., Elliott, S., & Veugelers, P.
Affiliations
  • University of Waterloo (CA)
  • University of Alberta (CA)
Corresponding author
Leatherdale, Scott T
Venue
BMC Public Health
Published
2012-01-24
Volume
12
Issue
1
Pages
74-74
ISSN
1471-2458 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2171075871
Cited by
54
References
54
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 1
FWCI
3.43
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • BMC Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Cancer Care Ontario
  • University of Waterloo
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Speech and Hearing › School Health and Nursing Education
  • Social Sciences › Transportation › Urban Transport and Accessibility
Keywords
gender differences, physical activity, school environment, built environment, adolescents, high school students, physical education, multilevel analysis, school facilities, obesity
MeSH terms
Administrative Personnel, Child, Female, Health Promotion, Health Surveys, Humans, Male, Motor Activity, Obesity, Ontario, Physical Fitness, Preventive Health Services, Residence Characteristics, School Health Services, Social Environment, Socioeconomic Factors, Students, Time Factors, Body Mass Index, Sex Distribution, Young Adult, Social Participation

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