Path Analysis of Campus Walkability/Bikeability and College Students' Physical Activity Attitudes, Behaviors, and Body Mass Index.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between the walkability/bikeability of college campuses and students' body mass index (BMI) with student physical activity (PA) attitudes and behaviors as potential mediators. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Thirteen university campuses. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1384 student participants. MEASURES: Walkability/bikeability environmental score (ES): 12-item audit assessed an average of 44 path segments per campus. Students were measured for height and weight and completed online surveys. Physical activity stage of change/behavior intentions were assessed using the transtheoretical model. The Cognitive Behavioral Physical Activity Questionnaire assessed outcome expectations, self-regulation, and personal barriers. International Physical Activity Questionnaire assessed walking-, moderate-, and vigorous-intensity PA. ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics, zero-order correlations, and path analysis with maximum likelihood estimation. RESULTS: The overall model fit was good with χ2 of 171.388 ( df = 18), P < .001, comparative fit index value of .95, and a root mean square of approximation of .079. After controlling for gender, there was a direct negative association between walkability/bikeability ES and BMI (ß = -.085) and positive association between personal barriers and BMI (ß = .134). Walkability/bikeability ES was positively associated with walking-intensity PA (ß = .010). Self-regulation was positively associated with moderate-intensity PA (ß = .213), which, in turn, was negatively associated with BMI (ß = -.057). CONCLUSIONS: The ease of walking and biking on a campus was related to college students' walking behavior and their BMI. Students' PA behavioral intentions were associated with moderate PA and lower BMI. These results provide evidence to focus on policies and structural supports for walkable/bikeable environments to supplement and enhance interventions encouraging individual behavior change for PA and weight management.

Appraising nutrient availability of household food supplies using Block Dietary Screeners for individuals.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The growing interest in environmental influences on obesity risk has spawned the development of tools for appraising home food availability. These tools reveal good reliability but tend to be limited in scope and burdensome to use. This cross-sectional study investigated the feasibility of using food categories and scoring algorithms from valid food frequency questionnaires for individuals (that is, Block Dietary Fat and Fruit-Vegetable-Fiber Screeners) to estimate nutrient availability in household food supplies. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Screeners were compared with household food inventories from 100 two-parent families with ⩾1 children ⩽12 years of age. Inventoried foods were coded to match Screener food groups, and amounts available were converted to total adult daily equivalent servings to express the greatest possible frequency at which each food group could be eaten/day/household. Scoring algorithms were converted to express all scores on a per-day basis. For the most conservative assessment, the highest point was used for day ranges for the Fruit-Vegetable-Fiber Screener and the lowest range point was used for the Fat Screener. RESULTS: Spearman's rank-order correlations (r⩾0.76) showed that the Fruit-Vegetable-Fiber Screener ranked households well for fruit/vegetable servings, vitamin C and dietary fiber. The Fat Screener and household inventory were positively correlated (r⩾0.58) for total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Concordance of household inventories and the Fruit-Vegetable-Fiber Screener, as determined by kappa with quadratic weighting, were strong and significant. Fat Screener concordance was moderate. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that it is feasible to use the efficient, valid Block Dietary Screeners for individuals to appraise household food supplies.