Perceived Neighborhood Characteristics Research Articles

Lifelong greenspace exposure and ADHD in Polish children: Role of physical activity and perceived neighbourhood characteristics

Previous research found a protective association between greenspace exposure and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis, but previous studies did not investigate mediatory pathways involving child physical activity (PA) and environmental perceptions. Here, we examined the association between lifelong exposure to greenspace and ADHD diagnosis and potential underlying mechanisms (i.e., perceived greenspace, PA, neighbourhood social cohesion, and neighbourhood safety) in children aged 10-13 with and without ADHD. The sample (N = 689) was collected within the NeuroSmog case-control study, where children with (N = 203) and without ADHD (N = 486) were recruited from 18 towns in Southern Poland. ADHD diagnosis was ascertained according to the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision criteria. Greenspace exposure was defined as the percentage of grass and tree cover in 500 m and 1 km buffers around lifelong residential addresses, respectively. Parents reported information about the availability of domestic garden and data on potential mediators was collected with questionnaires. Structural equation modeling was used to examine hypothesized pathways, and their interplay, linking the three greenspace measures to ADHD. We found that greenspace was indirectly related to ADHD diagnosis: tree cover was positively related to PA, and PA was subsequently negatively related to ADHD diagnosis. Tree cover and garden were both associated with higher levels of perceived greenspace, which in turn related to stronger perceptions of neighbourhood social cohesion. Our findings suggest that exposure to greenspace may lead to lower likelihood of ADHD diagnosis indirectly through PA. These findings highlight how providing children with better access to natural environments for PA may support normal neurodevelopment.

The Role of the Perceived Neighborhood Social Environment on Adolescent Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity: Findings from Add Health.

Few studies have examined the role of perceived neighborhood characteristics such as neighborhood safety, social cohesion, and contentedness on sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA) among adolescents. Furthermore, no studies have investigated how these associations are moderated by gender and race. This study aimed to examine the associations of the perceived neighborhood social environment with (SB) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Data from 6504 adolescents (aged 15.4 ± 0.03 years) who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health was used. SB and PA were considered continuously and dichotomously. PNSE variables include safety, social cohesion, and contentedness, where higher values of PNSE indicate a more favorable neighborhood perception. Weighted linear and logistic regression models were used to examine the association of PNSE with continuous total SB (hours/week) and MVPA (bouts/week), and binary excessive SB (14h/week) and meeting MVPA guidelines (≥ 5 bouts/week), respectively. Associations were stratified by gender and race to test moderation effects. Models were adjusted for demographic, health, parental, and neighborhood covariates. This study found that neighborhood safety and contentedness were negatively associated with SB, whereas neighborhood social cohesion and contentedness were positively associated with PA. Gender-specific and race-specific results remained somewhat consistent with overall findings; however, neighborhood safety was not associated with SB among female and non-White adolescents, respectively. Similarly, neighborhood safety and contentedness were not associated with MVPA for non-White adolescents. Findings suggest that an adolescent's neighborhood environment, gender, and race should be considered when implementing strategies to reduce SB and increase PA.

LONGITUDINAL REPORTS OF NEIGHBORHOOD ENVIRONMENT ON COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE AMONG BLACK ADULTS

Abstract Limited research has explored the association between neighborhood environments and cognitive functioning using longitudinal reports of neighborhood quality. The current study examined the longitudinal association between perceived neighborhood characteristics and computerized cognitive performance among Black adults. This study included 584 community-dwelling socioeconomically diverse Black adults (Mage = 56.27, SDage = 8.94; 58% female) from waves 3 & 4 of the Healthy Aging in Neighborhood of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study. Neighborhood quality was assessed using three scales about built environment disorder (e.g., litter), social cohesion (e.g., close-knit neighborhood), and social control (e.g., neighbors act if fight in front of house). Cognitive functioning was assessed using the computerized Joggle battery. Multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted with each cognitive measure as the outcome measure. Models were adjusted for age, sex, education, reading literacy, poverty status, and depressive symptoms. In the adjusted models, living in a neighborhood with increasing built environment disorder was associated with slower performance (p <.05) on an attention measure. Increasing social cohesion was associated with faster performance (p <.05) on memory, attention, and visual orientation measures. Similarly, increasing social control was associated with faster performance (p <.05) on attention, executive function/reasoning, visual orientation, and speed measures. Additionally, increasing social control was associated with greater number of correct responses (p <.05) on an attention and executive function/reasoning measure. Significant interactions were observed between changes in neighborhood quality and covariates. These findings amplify the importance of understanding how changes in neighborhood quality impact cognitive performance among Black adults.

Associations between neighborhood environment and computerized cognitive performance among older Black adults

AbstractBackgroundStudies have suggested that neighborhood quality is associated with health outcomes beyond individuals’ socioeconomic characteristics (Kind & Buckingham, 2018; Ludwig et al., 2011). Limited research has explored how subjective neighborhood quality is associated with cognitive functioning, particularly among socioeconomically diverse Black adults. The current study examined the cross‐sectional association between perceived neighborhood characteristics and cognitive functioning among Black adults.MethodThis study included 1,079 community‐dwelling, socioeconomically diverse Black adults (Mage = 56.64, SDage = 9.14; 59% female) from wave 4 of the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study. Neighborhood quality was assessed using three scales about built environment disorder (e.g., litter, graffiti, and crime), social cohesion (e.g., close‐knit neighborhood, neighbors can be trusted), and social control (e.g., neighbors take action for children disrespecting adults). Cognitive functioning was assessed using the computerized Joggle battery. Multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted with each cognitive measure as the outcome measure. Models were adjusted for age, sex, education, reading literacy, poverty status, and depressive symptoms.ResultIn the adjusted models, higher built environment disorder was associated with slower performance (p < .05) on an attention and visual orientation measure and fewer correct responses (p’s < .05) on attention, executive function, and speed measures. High social cohesion was associated with faster performance (p < .05) on attention, visual orientation, executive function, and speed measures. Additionally, high social cohesion was associated with greater numbers of correct responses (p < .05) on an attention and executive function measure. Interestingly, high social control was associated with slower performance on executive function. Significant interactions were observed between neighborhood quality and covariates. For example, higher perceived social cohesion was associated with slower average reaction time on memory and attention, particularly for individuals with higher depression total scores. In contrast, higher perceived social cohesion was associated with faster average reaction time on executive functioning, particularly for men.ConclusionThese findings underscore the importance of environmental characteristics for cognitive performance among Black adults. Further, these findings support the continued assessment of contextual factors as mechanisms or avenues for understanding how to improve cognitive functioning.

Mexican-origin parent and child reported neighborhood factors and youth substance use.

Structural oppression affects health behaviors through residence in suboptimal neighborhoods and exposure to community violence. Youth and parents report perceptions of neighborhood factors that can affect youth substance use behaviors. Given that Latinx youth report higher levels of perceived community violence than other racial and ethnic groups, it is imperative to examine how youth- and parent-perceived neighborhood-level factors may relate to youth substance use. Data were collected using clinical interviews with family triads (fathers, mothers, and youth) and parent-child dyads (father or mother and youth) enrolled in the Seguimos Avanzando study of 344 Mexican-origin families in Indiana. Neighborhood measures, including perceptions of exposure to violence, neighborhood characteristics, and neighborhood collective efficacy, were included in parent and youth surveys. Self-report measures for past year alcohol and drug use were included in the youth survey only. T-tests were conducted to estimate differences in neighborhood reports among the sample triads. A series of linear regression models were used to estimate the associations between youth-, mother-, and father-reported perceptions of neighborhood factors and youth substance use. Preliminary results indicate that fathers reported higher levels of exposure to violence than mothers [t(163) = 2.33, p = 0.02] and youth [t(173) = 3.61, p < 0.001]. Youth reported lower negative neighborhood characteristics than mothers [t(329) = 6.43, p < 0.001] and fathers [t(169) = 3.73, p < 0.001]. Youth reported significantly better neighborhood collective efficacy than mothers [t(296) = 3.14, p = 0.002], but not statistically different from fathers. Results from the primary analysis showed that youth exposure to violence was positively associated with youth substance use (b = 0.24, SE = 0.06, p < 0.0001), but the youth's neighborhood characteristics and collective efficacy were not significantly associated with youth substance use. None of the parent-reported neighborhood variables were associated with youth substance use. The discrepant findings between parent and youth reports of perceived neighborhood characteristics and substance use have important implications for researchers and community stakeholders, and for developing targeted interventions and prevention strategies. Our study highlights the need to address youth experience of community violence and to prioritize creating safe and inclusive neighborhood environments. Potential strategies include improving community resources, strengthening social support networks, promoting open communication about neighborhood risks, and fostering collaborative efforts to address substance use behaviors.

“Home sweet home”. How staying more at home impacted residential satisfaction and residential attachment during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sydney, Australia

Previous studies of residential satisfaction and residential attachment have primarily focused on the influence of objective residential characteristics, and paid little attention to the time spent at home and in the neighbourhood. This study uses the COVID-19 lockdown in Greater Sydney, Australia, as an opportunity to investigate the effect of staying more at home on the interplay between residential satisfaction and residential attachment. In doing so, this paper contributes to the discussion about long-term impacts of COVID-19 on residential location choices. A structural equation model was estimated using data from an online survey of employed respondents (N = 748) which questions changes in the frequency of working from home. The results show that respondents who worked almost full time at home (4 plus days working from home) did enjoy higher residential satisfaction, relative to respondents who never worked at home and this leads to respondents having higher residential attachment. Consequently, assuming that working from home becomes more of a norm after the pandemic, it is unlikely that this will be accompanied by large-scale residential relocations. The survey also allows an in-depth analysis of objective and perceived neighbourhood characteristics and the way in which these influence the interplay between residential satisfaction and residential attachment. The results suggest that residential satisfaction is significantly influenced by perceptions of safety and accessibility. The paper concludes with policy implications of how to encourage residential attachment which brings with it benefits of greater commitment to, and willingness to work to improve the neighbourhood.

Perceived Neighborhood Characteristics and Later-Life Pain Outcomes: Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study.

Objectives: This study examines whether perceived neighborhood characteristics relate to pain outcomes among middle-aged and older adults. Methods: Data were from the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2014; n = 18,814). Perceived neighborhood characteristics were physical disorder, social cohesion, safety, and social ties. We fitted adjusted generalized estimating equation models to evaluate prevalence, incidence, and recovery of moderate-to-severe limiting pain 2years later. Results: The mean age of our sample was 65.3years; 54.6% were female and 24.2% reported moderate-to-severe limiting pain at baseline. Positive neighborhood characteristics were associated with low prevalence (e.g., prevalence ratio [PR]: .71 for disorder) and reduced incidence (e.g., PR: .63 for disorder) of moderate-to-severe limiting pain. Positive neighborhood characteristics were associated with a high recovery rate from moderate-to-severe limiting pain (e.g., PR = 1.15 for safety), though the 95% CIs for disorder and cohesion crossed the null. Discussion: Neighborhood characteristics may be important determinants in predicting pain in later life.

Perceived Neighborhood Characteristics and Sleep in Australian Adults.

Poor sleep can contribute to poorer health and socioemotional outcomes. Sleep health can be influenced by a range of individual and other socioecological factors. Perceptions of neighborhood physical and social characteristics reflect broader social-level factors that may influence sleep, which have not been well studied in the Australian context. This study examined the association between perceived neighborhood characteristics and sleep in a large sample of Australians. Data were from 9,792 people aged 16 years or older, from Waves 16 and 17 of the nationally representative Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey. Associations between perceived neighborhood characteristics (neighborly interaction and support, environmental noise, physical condition, and insecurity) and self-reported sleep duration, sleep disturbance, and napping were examined using multiple logistic regression models. "Neighborhood interaction and support" and "neighborhood physical condition" were not significantly associated with any sleep outcomes after adjusting for relevant covariates. However, "environmental noise" and "neighborhood insecurity" remained significantly associated with sleep duration and sleep disturbance. None of the neighborhood characteristics were associated with napping. Furthermore, associations did not significantly vary by gender. This study highlights the potential benefit of public health policies to address noise and safety in neighborhoods to improve sleep.

Perceived neighborhood characteristics and wellbeing: Exploring mediational pathways

The present study evaluated possible mediators of the association between perceived neighborhood characteristics and wellbeing. Both objective: social participation, community engagement, and number of chronic conditions and subjective: loneliness, perceived discrimination, and subjective health indicators were examined as possible mediators. The health and retirement study is a longitudinal panel survey consisting of a representative sample of US citizens over the age of 50. Analysis was based on data collected in 2010, 2014, and 2018. A total of 5590–5851 participants were included in the analyses. Path models were conducted to examine mediation, using 5000 bootstraps. Even after controlling for sociodemographic variables, there was a significant association between perceived neighborhood characteristics measured in 2010 and wellbeing measured in 2018. This association was partially mediated by loneliness, perceived discrimination, and subjective health measured in 2014, but not by community engagement, social participation, and number of chronic conditions. In a sensitivity analysis, some of the objective indicators partially accounted for the relationship between perceived neighborhood characteristics and the subjective indicators. The findings point to the importance of subjective mediators, rather than objective ones in explaining the association between perceived neighborhood characteristics and wellbeing. Hence, they call for further attention to the subjective characteristics of the neighborhood as important to older persons’ wellbeing.

ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING TRAJECTORIES BY RACE/ETHNICITY

Abstract Older adults living in neighborhoods with high physical disorder and low social cohesion may be especially vulnerable to experiencing declining health. However, less is known about how neighborhoods may influence age-related patterns of cognitive functioning for different racial/ethnic groups. Therefore, we examine whether perceived neighborhood characteristics (safety, cleanliness, and social cohesion) are associated with trajectories of cognitive functioning across race/ethnicity. Using data from the 2006-2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, our study includes 11,870 non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Mexican adults 65 and older. We conducted linear mixed models stratified by race/ethnicity using an age-accelerated design to understand how neighborhood characteristics are related to trajectories of cognitive functioning (measured by the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status; range: 0-35). We also explore if sociodemographic, behavioral, and health characteristics account for this association. Analyses revealed that cognitive functioning showed a quadratic change with age. Negative neighborhood perceptions were associated with declines in cognitive functioning with increasing age for each racial/ethnic group. Among White adults, all neighborhood characteristics were negatively associated with cognitive functioning in fully adjusted models. For Black adults, perceived uncleanliness was significantly associated with trajectories of cognitive functioning. In Mexican adults, perceptions of uncleanliness and lower cohesion were significantly associated with worse cognitive functioning, but not in fully adjusted models. These findings suggest that the perceived neighborhood context is an important social determinant of cognitive health for older adults, and distinct aspects of the neighborhood may be more correlated with cognitive functioning for certain racial/ethnic groups than others.

ARE PERCEIVED NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC PAIN IN MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS?

Abstract Neighborhoods predict many health outcomes including functional limitations and disability; however, how neighborhoods are associated with chronic pain remains poorly understood. This study uses examined the association between four perceived neighborhood characteristics (social cohesion, physical disorder, safety, and social ties) and chronic pain in a nationally representative sample of adults aged 51+ in the US. Among 14,069 participants (58.65% women; mean age 68.81) in the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2008), we investigate whether neighborhood social cohesion, neighborhood physical disorder, neighborhood safety, and neighborhood social ties were associated with odds of having moderate-severe and limiting pain using adjusted logistic regression. After adjusting socio-demographic factors (age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, wealth, marital status), residence in neighborhoods with high perceived social cohesion, safety, and more social ties were associated with lower odds of having moderate-severe and limiting pain. Perceived neighborhood physical disorder did not predict whether respondents have moderate-severe and limiting pain or not.

Scania outdoor environment database (ScOut): A data source to study health effects of perceived neighborhood characteristics

Scania outdoor environment database (ScOut): A data source to study health effects of perceived neighborhood characteristics

Neighborhood Characteristics, Deprivation, and Attachment: Evidence From Guangzhou, China

Housing reform since the 1990s has created a new sociospatial structure in Chinese cities. However, neighborhood deprivation remains one of the key challenges for urban housing policies. This study investigates the relationship among perceived neighborhood characteristics, deprivation, and attachment, based on a survey of 59 neighborhoods across Guangzhou, China. We adopt an objective approach to measure the index of multiple deprivation (IMD) on the neighborhood scale. The descriptive statistics indicate that while residents in deprived neighborhoods generally report lower level of perceived neighborhood physical environments and neighborhood attachment, their evaluations of neighborhood social environments are not necessarily lower. Results from the hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) show that perceived housing conditions, perceived neighborhood environment, neighborhood ties, and sense of security are significantly correlated with neighborhood attachment. Furthermore, the moderation analysis reveals that the effect of perceived housing conditions on neighborhood attachment is stronger in more deprived neighborhoods. We propose that residents’ subjective feelings, timely and direct measurement of IMD, and context-based strategies should be used in urban housing policies to reduce the negative impacts of neighborhood deprivation.

Perceived neighbourhood environment and falls among community-dwelling adults: cross-sectional and prospective findings from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE).

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10433-022-00685-3.

Impact of COVID-19 on 'Living Well' with Mild-to-Moderate Dementia in the Community: Findings from the IDEAL Cohort.

Negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with dementia have been widely-documented, but most studies have relied on carer reports and few have compared responses to information collected before the pandemic. We aimed to explore the impact of the pandemic on community-dwelling individuals with mild-to-moderate dementia and compare responses with pre-pandemic data. During the second wave of the pandemic, we conducted structured telephone interviews with 173 people with dementia and 242 carers acting as informants, all of whom had previously participated in the IDEAL cohort. Where possible, we benchmarked responses against pre-pandemic data. Significant perceived negative impacts were identified in cognitive and functional skills and ability to engage in self-care and manage everyday activities, along with increased levels of loneliness and discontinuity in sense of self and a decline in perceived capability to 'live well'. Compared to pre-pandemic data, there were lower levels of pain, depression, and anxiety, higher levels of optimism, and better satisfaction with family support. There was little impact on physical health, mood, social connections and relationships, or perceptions of neighborhood characteristics. Efforts to mitigate negative impacts of pandemic-related restrictions and restore quality of life could focus on reablement to address the effects on participation in everyday activities, creating opportunities for social contact to reduce loneliness, and personalized planning to reconnect people with their pre-COVID selves. Such efforts may build on the resilience demonstrated by people with dementia and carers in coping with the pandemic.

Perceived neighborhood characteristics and practice of physical activity among adolescents and young adults: a model with distal outcomes

This study aimed to identify neighborhood profiles perceived by adolescents and young adults and estimate their association with global and leisure-time physical activity. Data from 1,637 individuals aged 15 to 24 years were taken from a cross-sectional study with cluster sampling, conducted in a city in the State of Bahia, Brazil, in 2011. Physical activity was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), short version, in addition to a question about leisure activities. The perception of characteristics of the physical and social environment of the neighborhood was based on a scale with 14 questions. Neighborhood profiles were defined through latent class analysis (LCA), and the estimation of their effects on physical activity used a model with distal outcomes. The latent profile analysis resulted in three neighborhood patterns, described as "urban, sociable, and favorable to physical activity - class 1" (39.6%); "sociable and safe - class 2" (24.4%), "insecure, low sociability - class 3" (36%). Individuals belonging to "class 1" showed the highest probability to exercise (56.4%), while for classes 2 and 3 these percentages corresponded to 46.3% and 42.8%, respectively. A statistically significant association was identified only in the "urban, sociable and favorable to physical activity" class, whose chance of performing leisure activities was 72% (OR = 1.72; 95%CI: 1.29-2.29). Neighborhoods with attributes that favor the practice of physical activity and the existence of urbanization elements increase the chance of active leisure behavior among adolescents and young adults. The use of LCA and the model with distal outcomes are promising and innovative in neighborhood approaches.

Exploring How Neighborhood Characteristics and Psychosocial Resilience Affect Cognition Among Older Black Adults

Black older adults are at greater risk for poor cognitive health than Whites, and adverse neighborhood conditions may contribute to this disparity. Moreover, limited research examines how resilience is implicated in the relationship between neighborhoods and cognition among Blacks. Using 2006-2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, we examine how perceived neighborhood characteristics (physical disorder and social cohesion) and psychosocial resilience (social support, mastery, and sense of purpose) contribute to cognitive functioning among 1,655 Black adults ages 65+. Results from multilevel linear regression models show that greater physical disorder was associated with worse cognitive functioning, and this was attenuated after adjustment for socioeconomic status. We found a positive association between purpose and mastery with cognitive functioning, even after accounting for socioeconomic, psychosocial, and health-related characteristics. Thus, high levels of purpose and mastery may be protective for cognitive functioning among Black older adults in spite of experiencing negative neighborhood contexts.

Psychosocial Characteristics, Perceived Neighborhood Environment, and Physical Activity Among Chinese Adolescents.

This study examined the independent associations between psychosocial factors, perceived neighborhood characteristics, and physical activity (PA) in Chinese adolescents. A cross-sectional study using a convenience sample was conducted in fall 2019 at a high school in Wuhan, China. Sociodemographic data, body weight, height, psychosocial factors, perceptions of neighborhood environment, and PA were collected using questionnaires. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed in 4 steps, where step 1 included demographic covariates, step 2 added psychosocial factors into the model, step 3 added perceived neighborhood environmental factors, and step 4 added interaction terms between significant psychosocial and environmental factors. A total of 4027 adolescents were included in analysis. The results of the third model indicated that friends' support (b = 4.58), friends' norms (b = 7.16), barriers to PA (b = -10.19), autonomous motivation (b = 4.75), self-efficacy (b = 8.86), the presence of shops/stores nearby (b = 5.79), and the availability of PA resources (b = 6.02) were significant predictors (P < .05) of moderate to vigorous PA. None of the interaction terms were significant in the fourth model. Our results suggest that interventions targeting the PA of Chinese adolescents should take into account the attitudes toward PA, perceived barriers to PA, controlled motivation, perceptions of neighborhood PA resource availability, and perceived neighborhood safety to maximize effectiveness.

Loneliness mediates the relationships between perceived neighborhood characteristics and cognition in middle-aged and older adults.

We aimed to examine whether loneliness mediates these associations between perceived neighborhood characteristics and cognition among middle-aged and older adults. Data from wave 10 (2010-2012) to wave 13 (2016-2017) of the Health and Retirement Study were analyzed. Perceived neighborhood characteristics were self-reported. Loneliness was measured by Revised University of California Los Angeles (R-UCLA) Loneliness Scale. Cognition was evaluated by the modified version of Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. Baron and Kenny's causal steps and multiple linear regression models based on Karlson/Holm/Breen (KHB) method were used to examine the mediating effect. At baseline, 15,142 participants had no cognitive impairment, and 11,413 individuals were finally included in our analysis after 6-year follow-up. Multiple linear regression models suggested that lower perceived neighborhood physical disorder (β=0.073, p=0.033) and greater perceived neighborhood safety (β=0.350, p=0.009) were associated with better cognition. KHB test identified the significant mediating effect of loneliness on the relationships between perceived neighborhood physical disorder (β=0.011, p=0.016) and perceived neighborhood safety (β=0.023, p=0.026) and cognition. Perceived neighborhood characteristics are associated with cognition among middle-aged and older American adults. Loneliness mediated associations between perceived neighborhood physical disorder and perceived neighborhood safety and cognition.

Perceived neighbourhood safety moderates the relationship between active school travel and health-related quality of life.

There is a dearth of studies examining associations between active school travel and children's health-related quality of life. Additionally, studies have not examined how perceived neighbourhood characteristics may moderate these associations. This study aims to examine the relationship between regular active school travel, children's physical and psychosocial health-related quality of life, and the potential moderating effects of their perceived neighbourhood safety (interpersonal and traffic). This cross-sectional study used data from Ontario schoolchildren (aged 8-14) as part of the Spatial Temporal Environment and Activity Monitoring (STEAM) Project. Results showed no significant direct relationship between regular active school travel and children's physical or psychosocial functioning; but the relationships were moderated by perceived neighbourhood safety. Regular active school travelers with high levels of perceived neighbourhood interpersonal safety, had higher physical and psychosocial functioning than regular active school travelers with low levels of perceived neighbourhood interpersonal safety. Additionally, at higher levels of perceived neighbourhood traffic safety, regular active school travelers had higher psychosocial functioning than regular active school travelers with lower perceived neighbourhood traffic safety. Interventions promoting active school travel should consider the environments through which children will be traveling.