摘要：We examined the association between various dimensions of the family environment, including family intimacy and involvement in activities, family support for physical activity, and neighborhood violence (perceived and objective) and physical activity among urban, predominantly African American, ninth-grade girls in Balti-more, Md. Greater family intimacy ( P = .05) and support ( P = .01), but not neighborhood violence, was associated with physical activity. Family factors, including family intimacy and support, are potential targets in physical activity interventions for urban high-school girls. Regular physical activity is a health-protecting behavior 1 that declines dramatically during adolescence. 2 According to the social–ecological model, health behaviors are influenced on 5 levels: intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community, and public policy. 3 Physical and social environments interact with individual behavior to support or hinder physical activity, as does neighborhood safety. 4 , 5 Although parental support is consistently associated with adolescent physical activity, 6 little attention has been given to other aspects of the family environment, such as family intimacy, that are associated with other adolescent health risk behaviors, including condom and drug use. 7 This is the first study we know of to examine the relationship between the broader family environment—including neighborhood violence and family intimacy and involvement in social and recreational activities—and physical activity among urban adolescent girls.
