Associations of perceived neighborhood environment and physical activity with metabolic syndrome among Mexican–Americans adults: a cross sectional examination

OBJECTIVE: This secondary data analysis examined associations among perceived neighborhood environmental factors, physical activity (PA), and the presence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in Mexican–American (MA) adults. Seventy-five MA adults (mean age of 37.9 ± 9.3 years) provided anthropometric, biomarker, and survey data. The Neighborhood Scales Questionnaire evaluated six perceived neighborhood factors: walking environment, aesthetic quality, safety, violence, social cohesion, and activities with neighbors. The Rapid Assessment of PA questionnaire assessed PA. MS was determined according to ATP III criteria. RESULTS: PA was significantly associated with MS (OR = .338, CI .204–.738). Neighborhood factors of safety (B = .255, p = .024), walking environment (B = .384, p = .001), and social cohesion (B = .230, p = .043) were positively associated with PA. No other neighborhood factors were significantly related to PA. Analyses examining whether neighborhood factors moderated the relationship between PA and MS were not significant.