NEIGHBOURHOOD ACCESSIBILITY AND ACTIVE LIVING PATTERN OF CHILDREN: A PILOT STUDY IN NAGPUR, INDIA

Purpose: This paper explores the association between neighbourhood accessibility and the active living patterns (ALP) of children in urban India. Focusing on outdoor out-of-school physical activities (OOPA), mode of travel to school (MTS), mode of travel to the neighbourhood (MTN), and habitual active independent home range (HAIHR), it seeks to understand the relationship between active living and neighbourhood outdoor physical environment (OPE) during middle childhood. Methodology: Defining the variable within the framework of the ‘Adapted Ecological Model for Active Living in Urban Indian Children’, this study employed a cross-sectional quantitative method to examine two neighborhoods in Nagpur, India. The subjective data was collected from 43 in-person surveys of 8–12-year-old children and objective data was computed using GIS. Results: Children’s ALP had significant positive associations with built density, traffic exposure, parents’ perception of personal safety, neighbourhood physical activity (PA) environment, license for independent mobility (IM) and gender. Children’s OOPA was significantly positively correlated with built density, neighbourhood PA environment, motivation for PA, license for IM and gender. Children preferred active MTS to school if schools were close by and they had licenses for IM whereas their active MTN depended on parent’s positive perceptions of personal safety in the neighbourhood and permission for IM. Longer HAIHR was related to lesser traffic, licenses for IM and parents’ positive perceptions of neighbourhood safety. Conclusion: This study has identified several key neighbourhood OPE (density, traffic, parental safety concerns, PA environment), individual (gender, motivation), and interpersonal (license IM) correlates shaping urban children’s active living in India.


INTRODUCTION 1.GLOBAL OBESITY AND PHYSICAL INACTIVITY CRISIS
The prevalence of overweight among children has substantially increased in industrialised countries and is on a steady rise in developing countries, especially in the global south.Karki et al. (2019), Khadilkar et al. (2011)

CENTERING CHILDREN'S NEEDS IN INDIA'S URBAN DEVELOPMENT AGENDA
India's urban areas are expected to continue as growth poles with a 600 million urban population and 75% share of GDP by 2030 PwC India & Save the Children India (2015) The absolute number of urban children and India's five-decade-long demographic dividend window (2005-6 to 2055-56) has brought India's young population into focus for its promise of becoming a major contributor to the country's present and future economic growth Harjani. (2012).For a developing nation, it is imperative to put the spotlight on its developing generation, both fostering each other's growth.Considering India's unique challenges of a large population of urban children, financial constraints, and diverse socio-economic and cultural character, large-scale individual interventions may prove impractical instead, hence taking up a public health approach with a focus on outdoor PA as a multifaceted tool to achieve multiple child outcomes can be effective.Substantial research from the developed world has established that the built environment has a conducive role in promoting PA Davison & Lawson (2006), Ding et al (2011) (2005).There is limited research in India on understanding the mechanisms through which neighbourhood PE influences the active living pattern (ALP) of children, particularly among the middle & low-income group populations.Additionally, findings of the 2022 India Report Card, Bhawra et al. (2023) as mentioned earlier reveal that the investment in physical infrastructure has been unable to improve children's PA outcomes in India.Considering the multifaceted nature of ALP and multiple dimensions of PE in Indian urban neighbourhoods, there is a need for a more comprehensive understanding of their mutual relationship.
Addressing this gap, a pilot study was conducted in Nagpur, to explore how neighbourhood accessibility influences children's ALP in the urban Indian context.This study is a part of an ongoing larger study focused on investigating the association between neighbourhood PE and key developmental aspects of middle childhood.The aim and objectives of the pilot study are as follows.
• Aim: To investigate the influence of neighbourhood accessibility measured as objective and subjective characteristics of outdoor PE of the neighbourhood on children's ALP, specifically focusing on children's outdoor out-of-school physical activity (OOPA) and AT to school and neighbourhood.This study focuses on investigating ALP during the middle childhood stage of child development (8)(9)(10)(11)(12) years of age).The reasons for selecting the middle childhood age group will be discussed further in this paper.
• Objective 1: To understand the overall ALP of children in Nagpur and to explore the influence of gender on ALP and other subjective measures.
• Objective 2: To investigate the relationship between the children's ALP and neighbourhood of PE characteristics.

LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1. GLOBAL EVIDENCE OF CHILDREN'S ACTIVE LIVING AND NEIGHBOURHOOD ENVIRONMENT
The central tenet of AL is accumulating PA in various forms and contexts throughout daily life.Children's PA is influenced by multiple determinants from demographic, physiological, psychological, social and environmental domains Kohl & Hobbs, (1998), Sallis et al. (2000), Sallis & Owen (1998).The persistent rise of obesity, and physical inactivity among the growing population in developed nations has encouraged the research to extend beyond a person-centred approach to broader everyday environments to investigate factors influencing PA in various domains.Extensive research has explored the relationship between children's PA and physical, social and natural environments at the neighbourhood level Ding et al. (2011), Franzini et al. (2009).Research has consistently identified several key characteristics of neighbourhood PE as being associated with children's outdoor PA and AT.These features can be summarised as (i) Residential or population density; (ii) Intersection density (or other measures of street connectivity); (iii) Land-use diversity; (iv) Walkability (a composite measurement including the previous three attributes); (v) Street level walking infrastructure and perceptions of street environments; (vi) Accessibility or proximity to recreation, sports, or play spaces or facilities, and proximity to the school as the key determinant for active travel to school; (vii) Availability and accessibility to public open and social spaces and natural environments such as parks, green spaces, street greenery, and water bodies; (viii) perceptions of safety from traffic and crime; (ix) Motorised traffic levels and the presence of main roads; and (x) Social support and psychosocial Vaishali Pedram, and Dr. Ujwala Chakradeo International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH 154 factors Smith et al. (2017).Smith et al. (2017) have also drawn attention to various micro-scale interventions in PE for their promise to increase AT and PA levels among children and adults.Furthermore, these features include (i) Multiple streetscape components for walking or cycling; (ii) Installation of fitness/ playground equipment; multiple park renovations; retrofitting existing spaces into pocket parks; temporary road closures and play equipment; (iii) Higher residential, recreation density and land-use mix; and (iv) Increased Street connectivity.Growing recognition of neighbourhood PE in promoting people's AL is evident as WHO's 'Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030 (GAPPA)' specifically underscores its importance by including the creation of active environments as its key action area WHO.(2018) However, unlike the global north, the relationship between neighbourhood PE with children's PA is less explored in the global south Nordbø et al. (2020).

CHILDREN'S PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND URBAN ENVIRONMENTS IN INDIA
The research in India exploring the association of neighbourhood environment on children's PA is in a nascent stage.Few isolated studies have explored this relationship primarily focusing on child-friendly recreation spaces like parks in urban neighbourhoods Agarwal et al. (2021), Bhonsle et al (2015).Khatavkar. (2018) has investigated the relationship of children's PA and mobility with the neighbourhood's physical and perceived characteristics.Tyagi et al. (2021) have explored the relationship between children's IM and the built and social environment in the neighbourhood of Kolkata, India and found that the organic spatial growth akin to compact built form fosters children's IM and the influence of social cohesion and safety outweighs the influence of PE.Tyagi & Raheja (2021) adopted a cross-sectional study design using objective and subjective measures for the built and social environment and parent reporting for children's IM.Kingsly et al. (2020) in their study based in Chennai, assessed a range of barriers and neighbourhood-level correlates of AT to school among adolescents (12-17 years), using a cross-sectional design, which included individual, social and environmental variables and included self-reported measures and adopted surveys largely from well-established instruments like NEWS Adlakha et al. (2016) and NEWS-Rosenberg et al. (2009).This study demonstrated that long distances to school and parental restrictions are prominent barriers to adolescents' AT.Das et al. (2023) developed a framework to evaluate child-friendly environments (CFE) in India, which included parameters like safety, walkability, access to basic services, green and open spaces, play areas, and social interaction.
India's urban mission includes projects like 'The Smart City Mission Smartcities.( 2024 155 infrastructure in the near future amongst economic constraints and socio-cultural complexities which require a context-specific approach.At this juncture, the scrutiny of the urban physical environment and its relationship with young children's AL, health, and overall developmental outcomes is urgently needed to get insight into the ground situation and inform the area-based policies, guidelines, and procedures of future development of urban neighbourhoods in India.

CHILDREN'S ACTIVE LIVING AND NEIGHBOURHOOD ACCESSIBILITY 2.3.1. CHILDREN'S ACTIVE LIVING
PA is a complex behaviour and can be interpreted in various ways depending on the context in which it is examined.PA refers to any form of muscular movement that results in energy expenditure Sallis & Owen (1998) and as a result encompasses diverse behaviours ranging from free play to walking, running, and organized sports Loon & Frank (2011).As the inquiry of PA as a matter of public health and behavioural science integrated with other disciplines like urban planning and design, the data, concepts, and methods were integrated and opportunities for promoting PA expanded Sallis et al. (2006).Active living (AL) is a way of life that integrates PA into daily routines.It is a broader concept that incorporates exercise, recreational activities, household, and occupational activities, and active transportation Edwards et al. (2006).For children "Active Living' implies acquiring and enjoying health-enhancing PA accommodated in their daily routine.Children's routine active recreation and active travel are two primary domains of their active living patterns (ALP) Biddle et al. (2004).Active recreation includes unstructured, spontaneous outdoor play, organised sports or PA programs.AT includes walking and cycling to school, parks, a friend's house or other routine neighbourhood destinations like tuition classes, and corner stores Bhawra et al. (2023), Sallis & Glanz (2006).

NEIGHBOURHOOD ACCESSIBILITY
Neighbourhood accessibility is instrumental in facilitating children's active recreation and AT.The neighbourhood accessibility is multidimensional encompassing a wide range of factors that influence children's ability to reach various desired destinations and opportunities in the neighbourhood.To conceptualise neighbourhood accessibility for children, child-friendly environment approaches as discussed by Horelli (2007) and Cities Alive: Designing for Urban Childhoods ' Arup. (2017) are very useful.As informed by these child-friendly approaches and considering children's needs and limited abilities, it's essential to focus on two key action areas, (i) Children's everyday free, independent and active movement to safely travel, play and socialise in the neighbourhood and (ii) Children's environmental affordances for recreational and routine utilitarian PA.".The most supported correlates for children's AL are walkability, traffic speed/volume, access/proximity to recreation facilities, land-use mix, residential density, street connectivity and perceptions about PE.Other PE factors like functionality, safety, aesthetics, and quality of spaces are also essential factors as they have a substantial influence on children's neighbourhood accessibility Davison et al. (2006), Ding et al. (2011), Leventhal & Brooks-Gunn. (2000).Sallis et al. (2008).The conceptual framework guiding this study was informed by Sallis et al. (2006) ecological model for AL and other relevant ecological models specifically addressing children's PA Loon & Frank (2011) and AT behaviours Panter et al. (2008).The conceptual framework incorporates neighbourhood OPE characteristics in the form of groups of variables as presented in the schematic diagram of the 'Adapted Ecological Model for Active Living in Urban Indian Children' (See Figure 1) Sallis & Glanz (2006) and discussed in the following section.

VARIABLES OF INTEREST
Building upon the conceptual framework (See Figure 1) discussed above we further discuss the mechanisms through which the neighbourhood PE variables influence the children's active living pattern (ALP).Operational definitions and measurement approaches of these variables are provided in Table 1.We have adopted Davison and Lawson's Davison & Lawson, (2006) definition of 'Physical Environment' and describe the neighbourhood PE in terms of its objective and perceived characteristics of the physical context in which children spend their time (neighbourhood) including aspects of built form (residential density, land-use, street pattern), accessibility (pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, traffic volume and speed,), amenities (availability and proximity of local shops, recreation facilities like parks and playgrounds and child related other destinations) perceived characteristics like safety, aesthetics.

ACTIVE LIVING PATTERNS (ALP) OF CHILDREN
Referring to the discussion on AL in the earlier part of this paper, and focusing on evaluating the overall integration of PA in children's daily routine lives, four distinct components were identified and operationalised to assess children's ALP: (i) Outdoor out-of-school PA in a usual week (OOPA) (frequency and duration); (ii) Usual Mode of travel to school (MTS ); (iii) Usual Mode of travel to neighbourhood destinations (MTN); and (iv) Habitual active independent home range (HAIHR).Frequency is the measure of regularity of being physically active Telama et al. (2006), Veitch et al. (2010).The duration of outdoor out-of-school PA was measuring the quantum of PA Chinapaw et al. (2010).Walking or cycling to school and routine neighbourhood destinations is the major contributor to children's daily accumulation of PA Carver et al. (2008).MTS and MTN refer to the choice between active versus passive modes of travel.The active-independent home range is an indicator of children's ability to access facilities and utilize opportunities their neighbourhood offers for recreation and AT.All these four components describe the ALP of children Moore (1978).

NEIGHBOURHOOD OUTDOOR PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (OPE)
Based on the earlier discussion on neighbourhood accessibility and focusing on the encompassing range of OPA factors hypothesised to influence children's ALP, the objective characteristic of OPE were categorised into (i) Built form : Built Area Density, Land-Use Mix, Street Connectivity Villanueva et al. (2016), (ii) Vehicular Network: Traffic Exposure Giles et al. ( 2011), Oliver et al. (2015); (iii) Pedestrian and Cycling Infrastructure: Footpath availability and Utility of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure Carver et al. (2008), Rosenberg et al. (2009), (iv) Recreation Open Spaces: Usability of ROS: Proximity, Area, Numbers and Quality of Neighbourhood ROS and number of neighbourhood ROS within 20 minutes of walking distance from their home Frank et al. (2012), Kaczynski et al. (2020), Rosenberg et al (2009).The perceptions of the neighbourhood environment included in the study were (v) Children's and parents' perceptions of neighbourhood traffic and personal safety Rosenberg et al. (2009), children's perceptions of Neighbourhood PA environment Davison & Lawson (2006); and neighbourhood attractiveness Pikora et al. (2003), Rosenberg et al. (2009).

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND INTERPERSONAL FACTORS
Building on the earlier discussion on the Adapted Ecological Model for Active Living for children (Figure 1), and based on the previous literature, two individual characteristics included in the study were, (i) Gender: Trost et al. (1999) and (ii) A composite variable of Motivation for PA: self-efficacy for PA Trost et al. (1999), social support for PA Högman et al (2020), and enjoyment of PA Saunders et al. (1997).The ecological model model suggests children's PA can also be influenced by interpersonal factors.Parent's perception of traffic safety, stranger danger or social environment in the neighbourhood along with parenting norms determines parents' attitudes and willingness to allow IM to children Prezza et al. (2001), Tyagi & Raheja (2020).Considering the importance of IM for children's AL, a licence for IM is included in the study Babb.( 2014), Loon & Frank (2011).
The operational definitions, measures and scales, and tools of all the dependent and independent variables included in the study are described in Table 1.

Dependent variables
Measurement/Indicator (Formula/Scale) Source The ratio of high-speed roads: (Total length of high-speed roads / Total length of lowspeed roads in 400 M. buffer)

GIS
Pedestrian and cycling infrastructure 5) Footpath availability 9  The ratio of roads with footpaths: (Total length of roads with a footpath / Total length of all the rods in the 400 M. buffer)

METHODOLOGY 3.1. STUDY SETTINGS
Nagpur, located at the geographical centre of India was the place of this study.With a population of 24.48 lakhs Chandramouli & General (2011), it is the regional main centre for commerce, industries, services, health and education.In the last two decades, there have been progressive changes in Nagpur's industrial, economic profile, and real estate growth especially induced by the MIHAN project (Multi-Modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur) coupled with the significant in-migration from the surrounding central region, transforming the city physically, socially, and culturally.The rapidly changing urban landscape is putting the city's infrastructure under stress resulting in urban sprawl, increased densities, higher crime rates, increase in traffic volume, and lack/ shortage of open spaces, leisure and amenities are affecting liveability for children.Nagpur, a tier-II city is significant as a representative case of transforming the urban living environment in India, hence a suitable context for exploring the relationship between neighbourhood OPE characteristics and children's active living patterns.
Adopting a comparative case study approach two neighbourhoods, namely Trimurti Nagar (TN) and Jaripatka (JP) were identified for sample recruitment for this pilot study.Since the primary constituent of the children's ALP is their OOPA and routine AT to the neighbourhood, the initial selection criteria to identify potential neighbourhoods included three outdoor physical environments (OPE) factors namely, intersection density, traffic exposure and area of ROS.These factors are hypothesised to facilitate children's outdoor PA and AT.The preliminary data for physical characteristics was acquired either by direct observation or by using GIS within tentatively delineated neighbourhood boundaries by consulting the neighbourhood residents.This purposeful selection of neighbourhoods was helpful to maximise the variability in OPE profile within the pilot study sample.

PARTICIPANTS
A sample of 43 children aged 8-12 years along with one parent participated in this pilot study.The participants living in TN and JP neighbourhoods and belonging to middle and lower-income households were recruited from parks and residential areas through door-to-door visits.The precaution was taken to recruit children from all parts of the neighbourhood to cover the whole spatial range.Middle childhood years were considered for this investigation as during this there is a developmental need for increased independence, outdoor exploration, and social interactions and children greatly depend on neighbourhood resources for PA during this age DelGiudice.(2018), Eccles.(1999), Moore & Theokas (2008).Several national and international studies have also focused on the same age for investigating neighbourhood effects on children's various health behaviour outcomes such as physical activities and active travel Kyttä et al., (2012), Oliver et al. (2015)independent mobility Tyagi & Raheja (2020); travel to school Tetali et al. (2016)daily activities and play provisions Bhonsle & Adane (2015).The data on the exact share of MIG and LIG households in urban India is limited but based on the evidence from various sources like govt.schemes PMAY.( 2015), and thoughts expressed by various field experts suggest Chhabra.(2023), Roy.(2018), Roy & Sowgat (2024) that MIG and LIG households represent a substantial population in urban India.Focusing on the PA needs of children from this segment is important, as interventions to improve their ALP will potentially benefit the majority of the urban population.

DATA COLLECTION 3.3.1. SUBJECTIVE DATA
The cross-sectional data for this pilot study was collected from the intervieweradministered survey for children and their parents.Upon explaining the purpose and the process of the survey, prior consent was secured from both parents and children.Survey interviews were conducted in the language of choice and lasted for 20 min.The questionnaire included 13 questions ( 7 for parents and 6 for the child) and 8 subscales (4 for parents and 4 for the child), adapted from internationally and nationally recognised scales.(See footnotes of Table 1).The residential address Vaishali Pedram, and Dr. Ujwala Chakradeo International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH 162 provided by the parents was re-checked using Google Earth and Google Street View Tetali et al. (2016) and confirmed by the parents or by direct observation.

OBJECTIVE DATA
A circular buffer of a 400-meter radius was created around each child's home location (n=43) to obtain the objective data of OPE variables, which was similar to several international studies and national studies of the same genre Kyttä et al.(2012) -3): Analysis: Spatial analysis and map creation were performed using QGIS (version 3.24) geographic information system software (QGIS Development Team, 2021).Intersection analysis was done to calculate road intersection density.Pivot tables were used for summarising and aggregating the data.Data output tables were created for further analysis.

ANALYSIS
Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26.The descriptive (Mean, SD, frequency and percentage) and ANOVA analysis (Independent sample t-test / Chi2 test as applicable) was performed for the active pattern variable (ALP) and its component variables (OOPA, MATS, MATN and HAIHR) along with perceived OPE characteristics, individual characteristics, and other interpersonal factors for overall and by gender are also included in Table 3. Whereas, Table 4 contains descriptive (Mean, SD, frequency and percentage) and ANOVA statistics (Independent sample t-test / Chi2 test as applicable) for the active pattern variable (ALP) and its component variables (OOPA, MATS, MATN and HAIHR) along with objective and perceived OPE characteristics, personal characteristics, and other interpersonal factors for overall and by neighbourhood.Bivariate correlation analysis was used to investigate the association between children's ALP and its component variables (OOPA, MATS, MATN and HAIHR) and objective and perceived OPE characteristics, personal characteristics and interpersonal factors as explained in (Table 2) and (Table 5).Several studies from Asia have employed a similar approach to examine built environment's influence on children's outdoor PA Bao et al. (2021), Islam, (2008), children's independent mobility Tyagi & Raheja (2020), and time spent outdoors Islam et al. (2016).Other international studies have also employed similar statistical strategies to examine the influence of OPE characteristics on children's various developmental outcomes like PA, AT and IM Bao et al. (2021), Oliver et al.(2016), Timperio et al., (2008).

Footnotes:
A The Active Living Pattern categories were categorized into quartiles based on the total possible score of 12.

OBJECTIVE 1: INFLUENCE OF GENDER ON ALP AMONG
CHILDREN IN NAGPUR 4.1.1.GENDER AND ALP (REF.TABLE 3)   Out of 43 (aged 8-12 years) children participating in this pilot study, 26 (60%) were boys and 17 (40%) were girls.The exclusive participation of mothers in the survey was suggestive of their central position and prevailing cultural expectation of responsibility for children's daily routines on mothers.The boys demonstrated significantly higher levels of ALP than the girls.(F:5.65(Underactive),M: 8.62 (Active)); The overall OOPA of children is just about 64.27 minutes per day in a usual week with boys accumulating significantly higher OOPA than girls.(F:36.47,M: 82.45);Many children use motorised MTS (67.44%) and an active MTN (79.07%).Though not significantly higher, more girls are engaging in active MTS.(F:47.06%,M: 23.08%) Page et al. (2010) Whereas more boys use active MTN than girls.(F:76.47%,M: 80.77%).The higher number of girls engaging in active MTS was probably because girls attend schools which are significantly closer distance than boys.(F:1234 M, M: 3310M); The significantly higher value of mean HAIHR for boys than the girls, (F:645 (Limited), M: 996.65 (Moderate) suggests that they can access a wider range of destinations within the neighbourhood such as parks, shops, or friend's house etc.Where a girl's limited range of HAIHR indicates that they can access some neighbourhood destinations but are still relatively confined.

GENDER DIFFERENCES IN PERCEIVED
NEIGHBOURHOOD OPE CHARACTERISTICS (REF.TABLE 3)   The children and their parents perceived that their neighbourhoods were only fairly safe from traffic and incivilities.Compared to girls, boys perceive that their neighbourhood was marginally safer from traffic.(F:2.41(fairlysafe), M: 2.54(Safe)).But girls were less concerned about their safety in the neighbourhood than the boys.(F:2.59(Safe),M: 2.15 (Fairly safe).Compared to boys, parents of girls feel that their neighbourhoods have a lower level of personal safety.(F:2.06 (fairly safe), M: 2.58(Safe).Boys find their neighbourhood safer from traffic as compared to their parents.(Boys:2.5 (Safe), Parents: 2.38(Fairly Safe).Overall the differences in the perceived traffic and personal safety between boys and girls themselves Wen et al. (2009) and between their parents are not statistically significant.

GENDER DIFFERENCES IN MOTIVATION FOR PA AND
LICENSE FOR IM (REF.TABLE 3, TABLE 4)   Overall and individually girls and boys find their neighbourhoods as very supportive of PA in terms of facilities and the presence of PA culture and friendliness in the community (Table 4).Both boys and girls find their neighbourhood attractive.Overall, all the children showed good motivation for pursuing outdoor PA with boys significantly more motivated than girls.(F:7.73(Goodmotivation), M: 9.42 (High motivation)) Overall 69.77% of children were always permitted IM as compared to 18.6% who were never permitted IM in the neighbourhood.A greater number of boys are permitted IM than girls.(F:23.26%,M: 46.51%).
It is evident from the above outcomes that boys are leading a more active lifestyle as compared to girls.Previous studies investigating children's PA have also revealed gender differences of similar patterns.In this study, boys were accumulating more OOPA Page et al. (2010), J. F. Sallis et al. (1999), engaging in more active travel, and accessing a wider range of neighbourhood destinations without adult supervision Timperio.( 2004), Villanueva et al. (2012).The 2022, India Report Card Bhawra et al. (2023), upon extensive evaluation of the relevant literature on PA patterns among Indian children and adolescents has revealed that compared to girls boys have higher levels of PA and AT.In the present study, boys have reported less concern about the traffic situation and greater freedom for IM than girls Page et al. (2010).Boys were found very satisfied with the physical activity facilities De Vries et al. ( 2007), overall greenery, and upkeep of their neighbourhood Molnar et al. (2004), and displayed high motivation levels for outdoor PA Brockman et al. (2011).All these factors appear to work in tandem to contribute to higher levels of recreation PA and AT for boys thus enhancing the ALP of boys.On the other side, though not substantially different than boys, the parents of girls are more concerned about traffic and personal safety Weir et al. (2006) and girls were permitted less IM in the neighbourhood as compared to boys.Interestingly both boys and girls rate the neighbourhood PA environment as supportive and the neighbourhood as attractive, still, girls are significantly less motivated to do outdoor PA.These observations regarding girls indicate their parents might be more cautious and prioritize safety over girls' autonomy for PA and IM Grow et al. (2008).
Given the preceding discussion on gender differences in ALP, and other factors that influence children's ALP, it is important to examine the correlations between gender and various aspects of APL.Gender has moderate strength, positive and significant correlation with ALP (r pb=0.36,p= 0.019) and high strength, positive and significant correlation with OOPA (r pb= 0.54, p= <0.001).It also has a moderate strength, positive and marginal correlation with HAIHR (r pb= 0.39, p= 0.061).Despite the limited sample size of this pilot study, these consistent correlations demonstrate the importance of considering gender in policies and interventions to improve children's ALP.

OBJECTIVE 2: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ALP AND NEIGHBOURHOOD OPE 4.2.1. OPE CHARACTERISTICS ACROSS THE NEIGHBOURHOOD (REF. TABLE 4)
To explore the strength and direction of the relationship of children's ALP and its sub-components with neighbourhood PE characteristics (both subjective and objective measures) spearmen ranked-order correlation analysis was performed for the entire sample (N=43).Once again, a hierarchical cluster analysis was performed using the comprehensive detailed data (GIS) acquired for five OPE characters within a 400-meter buffer around each child's home.(N-43).The dendrogram was created based on the z scores of means, median and SD of built density, land-use mix, intersection density, traffic exposure, and area and quality of recreation spaces, demon.The OPE profile of the two neighbourhoods has been  4), and observed characteristics of the neighbourhood (Table 2) which was essential to interpret the statistical analysis results.The profile of the two neighbourhoods is briefly described here.
Jaripatka (JP) is the oldest (60-50 years old) neighbourhood with a higher density (0.89) and land-use mix (0.49) than TN.It has marginally lower street connectivity (263 intersections/km 2 ) than TN.Traffic exposure (0.06), amount of ROS (22362 m 2 /km 2 ) and quality ROS (158.57) is much lower than TN.JP neighbourhood is also undergoing partial redevelopment, which implies a transition in its built form towards mixed land use.Whereas TN (40-30 years old), with its marginally lower built-up area density (0.8) and land-use mix (0.41) than JP, has higher street connectivity (284 intersections / km 2 ) and more traffic exposure (0.16) than JP.TN has an ample amount of ROS (33,449 m 2 /km 2 ) of high-quality facilities and amenities.(262.12).TN a well-established infrastructure, reflecting its developed stage.

CHILDRE'S ACTIVE LIVING PATTERN IN A USUAL WEEK (REF. TABLE 4, TABLE 5, TABLE 3)
A greater share of children lived in Trimurti Nagar (TN) (58%) compared to Jaripatka (JP) (42%).Overall children are demonstrating (Mean: 7.44, SD: 3.19) an 'Active 1 ' PA pattern with a moderate degree of variability.Children in the JP neighbourhood have higher levels of ALP compared to TN (TN:6.56(Active), JP: 8.67 (Active)) and this difference is statistically significant with a moderate to large effect size.This outcome can be related to the trends of higher levels of AT to school (TN:28%, JP: 38.89%) and neighbourhood (TN:72%, JP: 88.89%) and expansive HAIHR (TN:733.28M. (Limited HAIHR), JP: 1030.33M.(Expansive HR)) demonstrated by children from JP neighbourhood.This suggests that the OPE of JP is more conducive to children's AL than TN.We provide further insights and discuss potential explanations for this observed pattern of this relationship.

BUILT FORM AND ALP (REF. TABLE 4, TABLE 5, TABLE 3)
Referring to the physical profiles of the neighbourhood discussed earlier, JP has a relatively more compact built form than TN.The built density showed a moderate but significant correlation with the overall ALP (r = 0.32, p= 0.038) and OOPA.(r = 0.32, p = 0.034).Though a smaller number of respondent children reside in JP (41.86%) compared to TN (58.14%), the combined effect of higher built density, land-use mix, and moderate street connectivity of the JP offers more walkable recreational and utilitarian destinations (more alternate routes to multiple destinations) Braza et al. (2004), Frank et al. (2007), a higher concentration of people, children, dwellings, and shops translating into a higher hustle and bustle of daily activities like pedestrian traffic and social activities on the streets and more eyes on the streets.This can be linked to the parents from JP finding their neighbourhood safe for the personal safety of their children.Previous studies have also suggested that neighbourhood safety and social aspects are important factors that parents consider while permitting their children outdoor play and IM Veitch et al. (2006), Weir et al. (2006).The specific influence of land-use mix, and street connectivity could not be detected on ALP or its sub-components probably because variation in these factors across the neighbourhoods was not significant or the limitations of the pilot sample.

TRAFFIC EXPOSURE AND ALP (REF. TABLE 4, TABLE 5, TABLE
3) The transport situation can influence children's ALP primarily in two interlinked ways, their exposure to traffic and their choice of mode of travel to routine destinations in the neighbourhood Abdollahi et al. (2023).Apart from street connectivity the speed and volume directly affect children's AT and IM and indirectly influence their overall activity pattern Babb et al. (2011).The average traffic exposure level within 400-meter butter was low (Mean:0.12,SD:0.07), with TN children having a higher ratio of highspeed roads (TN-0.16,JP-0.06) and this Neighbourhood Accessibility and Active Living Pattern of Children: A Pilot Study in Nagpur, India International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH 169 difference was statistically significant.Traffic exposure showed a weak negative yet significant correlation with children's HAIHR (r = -0.31,p = 0.044) and a weak negative and marginally significant correlation with children's APL (r = -0.29,p = 0.095+).These two correlations can be interpreted as emerging trends which suggest that traffic exposure may restrict children's HAIHR and potentially limit their PA levels.Previous studies have associated traffic exposure with children's PA De Vries et al. (2007) and AT Grow et al. (2008).(REF. TABLE 4,TABLE 5,TABLE 3) The ANOVA analysis reveals that footpath availability is generally low in both neighbourhoods (Mean: 0.36, SD (0.08) but it is significantly higher in TN compared to JP. (TN:0.41,JP: 0.3) and this difference was statistically significant.No significant correlation was found between footpath availability and ALP or its sub-components.Despite the significant difference in the availability of the footpaths, children from both TN and JP find pedestrian infrastructure moderately useful, meaning design features, upkeep of footpaths, and convenience of cycling might be similar in both neighbourhoods.However, there was a weak positive and marginally significant correlation between the utility of pedestrian infrastructure, children's ALP (r = 0.25, p =0.1), and HAIHR.ALP (r = 0.26, p =0.94).These associations suggest that welldesigned and usable pedestrian infrastructure might increase willingness to venture out and explore their surroundings and provide more opportunities and incentives for active travel and play.Previous studies have also associated the use of the pedestrian infrastructure with the active use of recreation sites and AT to recreation sites De Vries et al. (2007), Ding et al. (2011), Grow et al. ( 2008).These emerging trends warrant further investigation with more variability and a larger sample.(REF. TABLE 4,TABLE 5,TABLE 3) Playgrounds, parks, and sports courts serve as physiographic settings and their physical characteristics may hinder or facilitate PA.There was a significant difference in the objectively measured variables of ROS like the Amount of ROS; Number of ROS; and Quality of ROS across the two neighbourhoods.TN scores higher for all the above aspects of ROS.Whereas JP children have more availability of ROS within 20 min distance from home (TN: 3.44 (0.51), JP: 4.33 (0.77) than TN and this difference is significant.As hypothesized, the proximity of ROS has a negative and significant correlation with an active MTN.(r = -0.38,p =0.012).The amount of ROS was consistently but negatively correlated with ALP (r = -0.26,p =0.089+).and MTN (r = -0.32,p =0.033).(Table 5).The consistent negative direction of these correlations is counterintuitive as the substantial literature evidence suggests that the of availability, amount, variety and quality of ROS promotes non-school PA Frank et al. (2012), Kaczynski et al. (2016).It draws our attention to India-specific pervasive issues like the deficit in infrastructure provision and maintenance.The mandatory statutory requirements like the area of ROS, often get partially fulfilled but the provision of age-appropriate play facilities, amenities, physical and personal safety features, general aesthetics, and upkeep of ROS, are crucial factors in stimulating children's interest and attracting them to visit ROS regularly, does not meet the required standards Loon & Frank. (2011).Contrary to the expectations, despite the lesser amount and lower quality of ROS the children from JP had demonstrated consistently higher scores for ALP and its subcomponents.(Table 4).This suggests that the walkability features like built density, land-use mix Ding et al. (2011), and having more parks within 20 min walking distance from home Timperio et al. (2008) were more influential in enhancing ALP in this study.(REF. TABLE 4,TABLE 5,TABLE 3) There was no significant difference demonstrated in traffic and personal safety perceptions of either children or their parents across TN and JP.(Table 4).However, children from TN are more confident in traffic and personal safety ("Safe"' 3 on the scale) as compared to their parents ("Fairly Safe"' 2 on the scale).On the other side children from JP are less assured of personal safety ("Fairly Safe"' 2 on the scale) as compared to their parents ("Safe"' 3 on the scale).The disagreement between children and their parents' perceptions of neighbourhood safety has been observed in previous studies also.(Timperio, 2004) Children's perception of traffic safety had a low strength, negative, and marginally significant correlation with ALP (r =-0.26, p =0.086) and a moderate strength, negative, and significant correlation with HAIHR (r = -0.49,p =0.001).Whereas children's perception of personal safety had moderate strength, negative and significant correlation with ALP (r = -0.47,p =0.002), moderate strength, negative and significant correlation with MTN (r = -0.42,p =0.005), and high strength, negative and significant correlation with HAIHR (r =-0.58, p =<0.001).It is evident from these consistent negative correlations that children's favorable views of neighbourhood safety could not translate into positive correlations with ALP or its subcomponents.However, many previous studies have positively associated children's perceptions of traffic and personal safety with their overall PA and walking or cycling with recreation sites or other destinations Grow et al. (2008), Taylor et al. (2018), and home range Spilsbury et al. (2009).Parents' perceptions of traffic safety did not significantly correlate with ALP or its subcomponents (Table 5).TN has a higher proportion of high-speed roads and JP has mixed and commercial land use ingress into its residential areas.In both situations, there is an increased traffic movement in the residential areas.Thus, the parental concern over neighbourhood traffic in JP and TN is obvious and ubiquitous Weir et al. (2006).

PERCEPTION OF NEIGHBOURHOOD SAFETY AND ALP
Parents residing in JP perceived their neighbourhood as safer for traffic.(TN:2.26 (Fairly safe), JP: 2.53 (Safe) and personal safety than TN.(TN: 2.2 (Fairly safe), JP: 2.61 (Safe)) This observation can be linked to the physical features specific to JP such as a relatively compact built form with integrated mixed and commercial landuse, mixed community vibrant social-cultural character, and lively streets.These features induce a sense of safety and surveillance, often called "Eyes on the streets" Kanigel.( 2016), fostering parental confidence and comfort in allowing their children greater freedom for outdoor play and active independent travel.This observation was further underscored as children from JP were engaging in higher levels of outdoor PA (TN: 56.21,JP: 75.46) and a greater number of children were opting for AT in the neighbourhood.than TN.(TN: 72%, JP: 88.89%).Parent's perception of personal safety had moderate strength, positive and significant correlations with ALP (r = 0.38, p =0.012), (Molnar et al., 2004) MTN (r = 0.38, p =0.013) Timperio.( 2004), and HAIHR (r = 0.48, p =0.001).From these results, it is clear that parental perception of their children's personal safety in the neighbourhood has a stronger influence on their children's AT and IM than their children's perceptions of neighbourhood safety.This finding is in line with another Indian study Tyagi & Raheja (2021), and several studies from other countries Timperio.( 2004), Weir et al. (2006), suggesting that parents tend to be the main decision-makers in their children's PA behaviors Panter et al. (2008).

NEIGHBOURHOOD PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ENVIRONMENT
AND ATTRACTIVENESS (REF. TABLE 4,TABLE 5,TABLE 3) Children's perceptions of the neighbourhood PA environment did not significantly differ across the neighbourhoods demonstrating the higher mean score for TN (TN: 6.41, JP: 5.83).The neighbourhood PA environment had a positive and significant correlation of moderate strength, with ALP (r =0.31, p =0.041).and of high strength amongst the subcomponents, only with OOPA (r =0.5, p =0.001).These results are in line with the findings from previous studies, suggesting the availability and quality of neighbourhood recreation facilities Hayball et al., (2018), Wong et al. (2010), and modeling of PA culture by adults, other children, and friendliness Villanueva et al. (2012), among the neighbourhood community positively influences children's activity levels.
Children from TN perceive their neighbourhood as more attractive in terms of the greenery, cleanliness and aesthetically appealing buildings compared to children from JP (TN: 8.76, JP:6.56).But despite the significant variation across the neighbourhoods, all the correlations of neighbourhood attractiveness with ALP or its subcomponents were statistically non-significant.These results indicate that attractive neighbourhoods which are important for adults didn't seem to influence children's activity levels in this study.This might be due to the growing children's limited abilities to comprehend surroundings at a larger scale.Probably children are easily drawn to immediate gratification like enjoyment and instantaneous apprehension like safety concerns.Neighbourhood attractiveness may be important for overall well-being but may not be the primary driver of PA during middle childhood.3) Both TN and JP children demonstrate a good level of motivation for outdoor PA (TN: 9.09, JP:8.28) with insignificant differences.It indicates general enthusiasm towards outdoor PA activities among the children participating in the study.On the expected lines it has shown a strong positive correlation with OOPA.(r=0.6, p=<0.001).The desire to be physically active is a biological and psychological need during the middle childhood years of development Schonert-Reichl. (2011).It is an innate drive that propels children to outdoor exploration and physical and social play despite an ideal environment.Therefore, intervention aimed at fostering and nurturing intrinsic motivation, rather than only focusing on PE factors could be a more effective strategy for promoting an AL among children.(REF. TABLE 4,TABLE 5,TABLE 3) In this study, the overall sample has the license for a high degree of independent mobility (69.8%).JP has a higher proportion of children having high IM (TN: 64%, JP:77.78 %).It is interesting to note that though TN has a well-developed infrastructure, it has a large proportion of children who have no IM.(28%) compared to just 5.56% of children from JP having no IM.The correlations analysis demonstrates a strong positive correlation between the license for IM and ALP (r =0.65, p=<0.001) and several moderate to high correlations with the subcomponents of ALP (Table 5).There were moderate to high strength significant correlations with active MTS (r =0.45, p= 0.002) and MTN (r =0.76, p= <0.001).This means that if children had permission to walk and cycle independently without adult company, they were more likely to choose active mode over passive mode to travel to school and the neighbourhood.A strong positive correlation is found with HAIHR (r =0.56, p= <0.001), indicating parents' permission for IM largely gets translated into children habitually walking and cycling to further distance from home to recreation spaces and other neighbourhood destinations acquiring longer HAIHR.Children from JP having significantly longer HAIHR than TN children (JP: 1030.33,TN: 733.28) may be linked to their higher levels of IM.Taken together these findings underscore the importance of facilitating children's IM to promote their engagement in active travel affording children's greater access to recreational PA as they can confidently navigate to parks and playgrounds on their own.Many previous studies had outcomes along similar lines Veitch et al. (2014) have found that AT mode and IM increase the frequency of children's park visits Schoeppe et al. (2013) in their review of 52 studies focusing on the association of children's IM, and AT with PA, have concluded that children who have the freedom to travel actively without adult supervision often play outdoors and accumulate more physical activity than those who do not Page et al. (2010) in their study have emphasized that IM to local destinations is a consistent correlation for outdoor PA, structured sports, and active commuting.

DISTANCE TO SCHOOL AND ALP (REF. TABLE 4, TABLE 5, TABLE 3)
For the overall sample, the average distance to school was 2.5 Km. (SD 2.95 Km) This indicates a wide range of distances within the sample which is similar to other Indian studies conducted in Hyderabad (Avg.distance to school: 2.0 Km, SD: 2.6 Km).TN children have their schools much closer than JP (TN: 1990 M, JP: 3183M).However, this difference is not statistically significant.Overall, only 32.56% of children are found to actively commute to schools in this study.This finding is similar to a previous study from Kolkatta, India which has reported that only 35% of children use active MTS Tyagi & Raheja. (2020).Despite the longer mean distance to school, a greater number of children from JP (39%) were actively commuting to school as compared to TN (28%).This trend can be partially attributed to JP's compactly built form and its advantages like more eyes on the street, and lively streets creating a sense of neighbourhood safety among residents.
As expected, distance to school has a strong negative correlation with active travel mode to school (r = -0.67,p=<0.001).This finding is similar to the previous literature suggesting that children were more likely to actively commute to school if their routes were about 750 to 800 meters Tetali et al. (2016), Timperio et al. (2006).The lack of a significant correlation between distance to school and overall, ALP may be attributed to some local factors and practices.It is a common practice for children in Nagpur to attend schools outside their neighbourhood localities and engage passive modes of transport for commuting.Many children attend afterschool extra tuition classes.These overscheduled patterns of children's daily routines consume time, and energy, leaving no room for outdoor PA but increasing their reliance on passive travel modes, and fostering a sedentary lifestyle, majorly compromising their willingness to develop independent active travel skills or engage in spontaneous physical activities.

CONCLUSION
This study is one of the few to specifically focus on exploring the relationship between neighbourhood environment and children's ALP in urban India, particularly focusing on the middle and low-income class, which constitute a substantial majority of India's urban populace.This study has demonstrated the adaptation and application of the ecological model of active living to the Indian urban context and provided a comprehensive framework for understanding the complex neighbourhood PE, and personal and intrapersonal factors influencing routine children's activity patterns, especially in the data-limited context of India.This study has included both objective and subjective measures to get a comprehensive understanding of the complex spatial, socio-economic and cultural profile of the Indian urban neighbourhoods.Additionally, by providing empirical evidence on children's active living patterns in urban India, it adds to the growing body of 'Active Living Research' from the Global South.Considering the lack of previous research of a similar kind, the research was framed as an exploratory pilot study with a limited sample.Recalling the results, built density, traffic exposure, utility of pedestrian infrastructure, proximity and amount of ROS have shown significant influence on children's ALP and its subcomponents.The findings of the study also revealed disagreement between children and their parents about perceptions of neighbourhood safety.Parents' heightened neighbourhood safety concerns override children's own perceptions, as evidenced by several positive correlations between parental restrictions, specifically limiting children's license for IM and ALP and its subcomponents.Children's motivation has also emerged as a very influential factor for children's outdoor out-of-school PA.
In India, where gender disparities persist in various spheres of life, it is not surprising that these differences extend to children's ALP, as evidenced by the higher levels of OOPA observed in boys compared to girls in this study.Despite better development and amenities, TN children could not exhibit higher levels of active living compared to children from the JP neighbourhood.This observation highlights the importance of the role of the cultural environment, as the JP neighbourhood's vibrant mixed community culture and compact built form, characterized by higher building density and diverse land use, appear to foster a more active lifestyle despite relative infrastructural limitations.These findings indicate at the influence of cultural norms and societal structures on children's behaviours and preferences, emphasising the necessity of a holistic approach.Considering, India's fast-transforming urban environments, vast socio-cultural diversity burgeoning child population, and the overarching challenge of economic constraints, understanding and leveraging the specific cultural advantages inherent in Indian society may be an important component of a holistic approach in designing effective interventions and policies to promote ALP among Indian children This approach should prioritise the development of infrastructure that supports children's out-of-school physical activities like active play, organised sports, and active travel, while also addressing the gender disparities and parental safety concerns and leveraging upon promotive factors like to motivation to create a supportive ecosystem to support children's active living.This paper presents a case of an initial foray into the field of neighbourhood PE effects on children's PA patterns.This study conducted in Nagpur, a case of fast transforming and expanding typical tier-II cities of India, demonstrates high relevance and potential for transformative impact.

LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE DIRECTION
This pilot study's cross-sectional nature and limited sample size limits the analysis to establish causal relationships.The key strengths of this study were its holistic conceptual framework, and rigorous methods employed for the comprehensive data collection incorporating objective and subjective measures of OPE and other variables, adopted and modified from international scales and GIS protocols, keeping in view the contextual challenges of demographic, land-use and digital data deficiency.The findings of this study provide preliminary evidence for several pathways through which OPE of neighbourhoods may influence children's active living patterns.Future studies can replicate and expand upon the comprehensive research structure of this pilot study.This research can potentially inform area-based planning and design strategies to improve children's active living.
, WHO. (2016) Over 340 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 years were overweight or obese in 2016 and globally its prevalence is on the rise essentially because of changing dietary patterns and increased inactivity among children WHO.(2021), WHO.(2006) , TRB Neighbourhood Accessibility and Active Living Pattern of Children: A Pilot Study in Nagpur, India International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH 153 Special Reoprt.
), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban PMAY.(2015) and Atal Mission of Rejuvenation and Urban Transformations AMRUT.(n.d.) Atal Mission; which address some aspects related to children's AL like the provision of recreation spaces and pedestrian infrastructure, but these efforts lack a unified approach.Urban planning and design policies like Child-Friendly Smart Cities (CFSC) NIUA.(2016b), July 14); ITCN (Infant, Toddler, Caregiver-friendly neighbourhood) (MoHUA & BvLF, (2019) and I-Child indicators for child-friendly local development NIUA (2016a) ; incorporate provision and access to physical, social, and recreational infrastructure catering to children's everyday needs at the neighbourhood scale ensuring a safe and healthy environment for children to live, learn, explore, and play.However, these policies are based on literature and methodologies from the developed world.Under the urban mission, a huge task is set out to construct vast urban Neighbourhood Accessibility and Active Living Pattern of Children: A Pilot Study in Nagpur, India International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH to children's active behaviour (recreational PA and active travel) in the neighbourhood setting with a specific focus on characteristics of the outdoor physical environment (OPE) have guided this study in understanding the underlying mechanisms of influence on children's ALP.Children's PA and AT are complex and diverse behaviours which are influenced by a wide range of factors spanning from individual characteristics, interpersonal aspects, and physical and social environmental characteristics Brodersen et al. (2005), Sallis & Owen(1998), TRB Special Reoprt.(2005).To incorporate the broad spectrum of influences on children's PA behaviours many recent studies have adopted integrative models referred to as ecological models.A comprehensive framework of ecological models is useful for guiding PA research as they capture the complete interplay of individual, social and physical environmental factors accounting for multiple influences and demonstrate a better capacity to predict PA behaviour Giles et al. (2005), Loon & Frank(2011), Sallis et al. in their proposed 'Ecological Model of Active Living' for the general population suggest four domains of physical activities, recreation, transport, occupational and household.The ecological models are useful in informing the development of comprehensive intervention approaches that can systematically target mechanisms of change and influence.The behaviour change is expected to be maximised when the individual, physical and social environmental interventions are implemented in a synergetic manner

Figure 1 Figure 1
Figure 1 Pattern in a usual week.(ALP) (Composite variable: Subcomponents: OOPA, MTS, MTN and HAIHR) 1) Outdoor out-of-school PA in a usual week 1 Active independent home range in the neighbourhood 3 (HAIHR) Single question: Name/ location of the place Response: Simultaneous mapping of the places on the satellite image with the help of the respondent using Google Earth Pro and Google Street View.area ratio (Gross floor area of all buildings / Total land area in 400 M. buffer) Unit: Area in SQM GIS 2) Land use mi x 6 Entropy index: (Ratio calculated for six land uses residential, commercial, mixed-use, institutional, recreation open spaces, and other open spaces)

Neighbourhood 8 )1
Accessibility and Active Living Pattern of Children: A Pilot Study in Nagpur, India Proximity to ROS 12 Street network distance to nearest ROS from home (Unit: Dist.inMeters) GIS 9) Amount of ROS 13 The total area of ROS within 400 M buffer in SQM (Unit: Area in SQM) GIS 10) Number of ROS 14 Count of ROS within 400 M buffer (Unit: Count in numbers) GIS 11) Quality of ROS 15 A quality audit was conducted for 5 ROS features.Of all ROS within 400 M buffer: (1) Access and surrounding (2) Play facilities.(3) Amenities (4) Aesthetic features (5) Safety (Unit: Sum of quality audit score of all the ROS in the 400 M buffer) Presence of dense mature trees in Nh (ii) (ii)Cleanliness and order in Nh. (iii) (iii)Aesthetic appeal of Nh.Outdoor out-of-school PA in a usual week (OOPA): Rosenberg et al. (2009), Telford et al. (2004) 2 Mode of travel to school (MTS), Mode of travel to the neighbourhood (MTN): Tetali et al. (2015)3 Habitual Active independent home range in the neighbourhood (HAIHR):Huang et al. (2009), Islam . (2008), Telford. (2004) 4 Characteristics of the Outdoor Physical Environment of the Neighbourhood (OPE):Davison et al. (2006),Ding et al (2011) 5 Built-up area density is measured as the built-up area ratio.Forsyth. (2007), Islam . (2008), Nordbø.(2019)    6 Land-use mix is represented by the entropy index, which is the most used and widely accepted index.It is an evenness distribution of the proportion of the estimated square footage/ floor space of different land uses within the buffers using the following formula known as the Entropy index.Forsyth . (2007),Nordbø et al. (2019),Tyagi & Raheja (2021)

Neighbourhood
Accessibility and Active Living Pattern of Children: A Pilot Study in Nagpur, India International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH 161 Table 2 ,MoHUA & BvLF, (2019),Tyagi & Raheja (2021) GIS data extraction was a three-step process as follows: (Step-1): Base data collection: The building footprint was generated from Google satellite imagery using Mapflow AI (https://mapflow.ai/,n.d.), a machine learning algorithm for automated feature extraction.OpenStreetMap, Google Street View and Google Maps /Earth were used to create vector data for locating the participant's home and buffering, identifying the road categories, marking the footpath, land use and recreation open spaces Forsyth, (2007), Lahoti et al. (2019), Nordbø et al. (2019), Pindarwati & Wijayanto, 2023), (Step-2): Augmentation: To enhance and refine the base data, Google Street View and Ground Truthing process (direct observation, photo documentation) were used for attribute addition like building type, number of stories, and quality audit of recreation open spaces; (Step

Neighbourhood
Accessibility and Active Living Pattern of Children: A Pilot Study in Nagpur, India International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH 167 comprehensively interpreted with the help of a cluster dendrogram which demonstrated TN and JP as two distinct Neighbourhoods, descriptive statistics (Table

Neighbourhood
Accessibility and Active Living Pattern of Children: A Pilot Study in Nagpur, India International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH 173 Vaishali Pedram, and Dr. Ujwala Chakradeo International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH 174

Spearman's Rank-Order Correlations (r, p-value)
Values within the 0.05 to 0.10 range are considered as marginally significant and denoted as (+)