Correlates of Physical Activity in Children from Families Speaking Non-official Languages at Home: a Multi-site Canadian Study

Abstract

Background: Children from families speaking a non-official language at home may be particularly at risk for low physical activity (PA), underscoring a need to investigate correlates of PA in this subpopulation.

Methods: We recruited 478 children in 37 schools stratified by area-level socioeconomic status (SES) and type of urbanization within three regions of Canada. Steps/day were measured using SC-StepRx pedometers. We assessed potential social-ecological correlates with child and parent surveys. We used gender-stratified linear mixed models to examine the correlates of steps/day.

Results: Outdoor time was the strongest correlate of boys' and girls' PA. Lower area-level SES was associated with less PA among boys, but outdoor time attenuated this difference. The strength of association between outdoor time and PA decreased with age in boys and increased with age in girls.

Discussion: Outdoor time was the most consistent correlate of PA. Future interventions should promote outdoor time and address socioeconomic disparities.

Keywords: Acculturation; Children; Correlates; Physical activity; Social-ecological model.