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Research has described the steps/day of youth in grades 1-12. Boys and girls living in the U.S. accumulate 11,000-14,000 and 10,000-12,000 steps/day, respectively. However, much of this research has examined predominately white or middle class youth living in suburban areas. To date little research has examined the steps/day of youth living in urban and rural areas. Purpose: The purpose for this study was to describe the steps/day of youth living in urban, suburban and rural areas in a southwestern state.
Methods
Participants were 1,058 youth (n=576 girls, n=482 boys) aged 8-12 (m=10.2, sd=1.0) of various ethnic backgrounds (45% Hispanic, 26% Caucasian, 19% African-American, 3% Native-American, 3% Asian-American, and 4% other) living in urban (n=432), suburban (n=472), and rural (n=154) areas. Participants wore either a Yamax or Walk4Life brand pedometer for at least 3 week/school days (excluding weekends). Analyses included descriptive statistics and a 2 X 3 ANOVA (gender x metro status) with a corresponding post hoc test for metro status.
Analysis/Results
ANOVA results indicated a significant gender effect (F(1, 1052)=100.90, p<.001; ç =.09) and metro status effect (F(2, 1052)=17.40, p<.001; ç =.03) with no interaction. Boys (m=12931, sd=3725) took more steps/day than girls (m=10476, sd=3230). The post hoc test for metro status suggested that youth living in suburban areas (boys m=13460, sd=3827; girls m=11283, sd=3074) accumulated significantly more steps/day than youth living in urban areas (boys m=12476, sd=3811; girls m=9577, sd=3239). Although not statistically significant, rural youth (boys m=12665, sd=3121; girls m=10529, sd=2977) also averaged more steps/day than urban youth.
Conclusions
This study provides preliminary objective physical activity data of youth by metro status. Results support those found in previous nationally representative samples of American youth where urban youth reported less physical activity and more sedentary activity than suburban and rural youth. Studies with adults have shown that those living in rural areas report lower physical activity than those living in urban and suburban areas. Future research should explore barriers that prevent urban youth from obtaining physical activity.