• Susan C Duncan, Lisa A Strycker, Nigel R Chaumeton, and Ellen K Cromley.
• Oregon Research Institute, 1776 Millrace Drive, Eugene, OR, 97403-2536, USA. sued@ori.org.
• Int J Behav Med. 2016 Apr 1; 23 (2): 153-61.

BackgroundNeighborhood environment influences may be particularly important for understanding physical activity (PA) patterns across ethnic subgroups of early adolescent girls.PurposeThis study examined relationships between neighborhood variables, moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and active transportation to/from school across African American, Latino American, and White early adolescent girls living in an urban/suburban community in the northwestern U.S.A. Relations between the neighborhood variables across ethnic groups also were examined.MethodThe sample comprised 372 African American, Latino American, and White girls living in the U.S.A. (mean age = 12.06 years; SD = 1.69).ResultsData were analyzed using multiple-sample structural equation modeling. Results showed that girls' MVPA was positively related to physical activity facility accessibility and negatively related to age. Active transport was positively related to physical activity facility accessibility, neighborhood walkability, and age, and negatively related to distance to the nearest school and household income.ConclusionsFindings highlight the importance of both perceived and objective neighborhood influences on girls' MVPA and active transport. Consistencies in findings across African American, Latino American, and White girls suggest that neighborhood-level PA promotion has the potential for broad impact across all three ethnic groups.

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