The steady raise in childhood obesity is a major public health problem nationally and globally. Childhood obesity is primarily caused by an imbalance between caloric intake and caloric expenditure. The increase in childhood obesity rates over the past 3 decades suggested involvement of environmental and behavioral factors in the obesity epidemic. While childhood obesity is considered a public health crisis in the United States, only limited research is available about the potential impact of neighborhood-level factors such as access to healthy food, neighborhood safety, and risk-free outdoor playgrounds. The purpose of this study was to examine if any relationships existed between childhood obesity and type of diet, level of physical activity, and neighborhood-level risk factors and childhood obesity. This study accessed the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) 2009-2014 data sets. Chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression were used to evaluate the associations between independent and dependent variables. The Wald test was used to assess the effects of each individual predictor, while adjusting for other predictors. The findings of this study showed no significant associations between childhood obesity and neighborhood safety; parental educational level; presence of parks, playgrounds, or open spaces; neighborhood walkability; neighborhood safety and support; and gender. Low physical activity levels, however were a significant risk factor for increase obesity. This study may lead to positive social change, enhancing individual lives and whole communities, by drawing the awareness of public health officials and policy makers to the importance of neighborhood factors associated with high body mass index.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BEHAVIORS AND NEIGHBORHOOD WALKABILITY PERCEPTIONS OF TURKISH WOMEN IN LOW AND HIGH SOCIO-ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENTS Yildirim, G&uuml / lsen M.S., Department of Physical Education and Sports Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Levent nce September 2010, 65 pages The purposes of this study were to compare (a) the physical activity (PA) levels, (b) exercise stages of change levels and (c) neighborhood walkability perceptions of Turkish women who are living in Low and High socio-economic (SES) environments. Initially, Low SES and High SES neighborhoods in Ankara were identified by using the classification of Turkish Statistical Institute. Participants were randomly selected 394 women (Low SES=188, High SES=206) between the ages of 18-65 living in these neighborhoods. For data collection, International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ) / Physical Activity Stages of Change Questionnaire (PASCQ), and Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale- Abbreviated (NEWS-A) were used. Descriptive statistics, nonparametric statistical methods (Mann Whitney U test, Pearson chi-square test) and MANOVA were used for the data analysis. According to the IPAQ results, there was no significant difference in walking and vigorous levels by women&rsquo / s neighborhood SES (p&gt / 0.05). However / moderate and total PA level of women living in High SES neighborhoods were significantly higher than the related levels of women living in Low SES neighborhoods (p&lt / 0.05). The results on exercise stages of change levels indicated that the women in Low SES neighborhoods had a higher percentage at precontemplation stage than those of women in High SES neighborhoods (p&lt / 0.05). On he other hand, a higher percentage of women in High SES neighborhoods were at maintenance stage (p&lt / 0.05). NEWS-A results revealed that there were significant differences in women&rsquo / s neighborhood walkability perception by their neighborhood SES, Wilk&rsquo / s = .33, F (8,382) = 97.57, p &lt / .05, 2 = .67. According to further univariate analyses, there were significant differences in all NEWS-A subscales by neighborhood SES in favor of High SES neighborhood, except for the &ldquo / pedestrian/traffic safety&rdquo / subscale (p&lt / 0.05). There were no significant difference in pedestrian/traffic safety scale by neighborhood SES (p&gt / 0.05). In conclusion, women who live in Low SES neighborhood have a higher risk of physical inactivity.Moreover, perceptions of neighborhood environment for the promotion and support of PA were lower in Low SES neighborhood residents as compared to their High SES neighborhood counterparts. Intervention programs for women living in these areas should be provided by considering their PA level, exercise stages of change level and neighborhood walkability perceptions.