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Objective To determine if there is a relationship between maternal perception of neighborhood safety in 3rd grade and weight status in 5th grade children, to test if gender moderates this relationship, and to identify potential mediators. Method Data from 868 children and their mothers involved in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (NICHD-SECCYD) were used to examine the relationship between maternal perception of neighborhood safety in the 3rd grade and child BMI z-score in the 5th grade. Multiple regression models were used to test this relationship, the effect of gender, and potential mediating variables (time outdoors in neighborhood, television viewing, child behavior problems and puberty status). Results Neighborhood safety ratings in the least safe tertile in 3rd grade, compared to the safest tertile, were associated with an increased risk of obesity independent of gender, race and income-to-needs ratio (OR = 1.59; 95% CI 1.03, 2.46), and a higher child BMI z-scores in the 5th grade among girls, but not boys, compared to the safest tertile (β = 0.33; 95% confidence interval, 0.09, 0.57). Neither amount of time spent outdoors in the neighborhood, television viewing, child behavior problems (internalizing or externalizing), nor puberty status altered the relationship. Conclusions Maternal perception of the neighborhood as unsafe in 3rd grade independently predicted a higher risk of obesity, and a higher BMI z-score among girls, but not boys, in the 5th grade. The relationship was not explained by several potential mediators. Further investigation is needed to explore these gender differences and potential mediators.

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Objective-To determine if there is a relationship between maternal perception of neighborhood safety in 3 rd grade and weight status in 5 th grade children, to test if gender moderates this relationship, and to identify potential mediators.Method-Data from 868 children and their mothers involved in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (NICHD-SECCYD) were used to examine the relationship between maternal perception of neighborhood safety in the 3 rd grade and child BMI z-score in the 5 th grade. Multiple regression models were used to test this relationship, the effect of gender, and potential mediating variables (time outdoors in neighborhood, television viewing, child behavior problems and puberty status).Results-Neighborhood safety ratings in the least safe tertile in 3 rd grade, compared to the safest tertile, were associated with an increased risk of obesity independent of gender, race and incometo-needs ratio (OR = 1.59; 95% CI 1.03, 2.46), and a higher child BMI z-scores in the 5 th grade among girls, but not boys, compared to the safest tertile (β = 0.33; 95% confidence interval, 0.09, 0.57). Neither amount of time spent outdoors in the neighborhood, television viewing, child behavior problems (internalizing or externalizing), nor puberty status altered the relationship.Conclusions-Maternal perception of the neighborhood as unsafe in 3 rd grade independently predicted a higher risk of obesity, and a higher BMI z-score among girls, but not boys, in the 5 th grade. The relationship was not explained by several potential mediators. Further investigation is needed to explore these gender differences and potential mediators.