Associations Between Objective and Self-Report Measures of Traffic and Crime Safety in Latino Parents of Preschool Children

Abstract

Differences in subjective and objective safety may be explained by moderators that shape parental perceptions of the environment. This study examined associations between subjective and objective measures of traffic and crime safety in preschool parents (N = 240) and potential moderators. Community cohesion, social control, and physical activity parenting practices were measured. Objective measures of crime and traffic were measured at the block-group level. Linear models revealed perceived traffic was negatively associated with the traffic hazards (b = -0.03; 95 % CI: -0.05, -0.01; p = .041). Acculturation moderated the relationship between perceptions of disorder and crime (b = 0.001; 95 % CI: 0.000, 0.003; p = .044). Poor community cohesion moderated the relationship between perceptions of disorder and crime (b = 0.0015; 95 % CI: 0.0002, 0.0028; p = .028). Perceived traffic safety was associated with the traffic hazard index in parents of boys (b = -0.04; 95 % CI: -0.07, -0.01; p = .027). Acculturation and community cohesion can be used to align misperceptions of safety to actual safety to promote outdoor play.

A review of early influences on physical activity and sedentary behaviors of preschool‐age children in high‐income countries

“…Parents of preschool‐age children have reported that their concerns about safety inhibit their children's PA (Dwyer et al., ; O'Connor et al., ; Soltero et al., ; Suen et al., ), including concerns related to neighborhood and community safety (e.g., crime, traffic) (Dwyer et al., ; Soltero et al., ). In addition, parental concerns about excess screen time are also associated with children's PA levels (De Decker et al., ; He, Irwin, Sangster Bouck, Tucker, & Pollett, ).…”

“…Limited research exists examining the association between acculturation levels and preschool-age children's PA, and the limited research shows mixed results (Gallagher, 2010;O'Connor et al, 2014;Soltero, Cerin, Lee, & O'Connor, 2016). A recent study with 240 of preschool-aged children showed that Latino parents' acculturation levels moderated the relationship between perceptions of disorder and crime, which in turn, influenced parenting practices that discourage child PA due to safety concerns associated with increased perceptions of traffic hazards, physical and social disorder, and perceived stranger danger (Soltero et al, 2016). Another study also conducted with Latino parents of preschool-aged children showed that cultural variables only had a weak main effect on PA parenting practices, specifically on discouraging PA due to safety concerns (O'Connor et al, 2014).…”

Infrastructure Impact for Human Safety and Resilience : A Case Study

“…It is not uncommon for people's perception of safety to differ from various perception measures of that indicate safety and other measures of safety, including objective safety variables. For example, people will sometimes perceive the (objectively) safer place as less safe (Lin and Moudon 2010); and in some cases, objectively measured neighborhood safety has little to no correlation with perceived aspects of neighborhood safety (Soltero et al 2017). Western studies related to social health have shown that there is some discrepancy between perceived safety and actual (objective) safety that impact physical activities (Booth et al 2000;Soltero et al 2017).…”

“…For example, people will sometimes perceive the (objectively) safer place as less safe (Lin and Moudon 2010); and in some cases, objectively measured neighborhood safety has little to no correlation with perceived aspects of neighborhood safety (Soltero et al 2017). Western studies related to social health have shown that there is some discrepancy between perceived safety and actual (objective) safety that impact physical activities (Booth et al 2000;Soltero et al 2017). This study, however, did not include objective measures of insecurity, such as the impact of insurgence violence or security disruptions created by Afghan or coalition forces.…”

Validity of a scale of neighbourhood informal social control relevant to pre-schoolers’ physical activity: A cross-sectional study

“…Parental perceptions of neighbourhood safety do not necessarily reflect objectively measured safety ( Carver et al, 2008 , Gielen et al, 2004 , Kimbro and Schachter, 2011 , Soltero et al, 2016 ). They can be influenced by other factors, such as the perceived level of collective efficacy within the neighbourhood ( Sampson, Morenoff, & Earls, 1999 ), which has been shown to be associated with mothers’ fear of their children playing outdoors ( Kimbro & Schachter, 2011 ).…”