1 Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
2 Science College, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
3 Centre de Recherche Azrieli du CHU Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
4 Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
5 Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Urbanisation Culture Société, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
6 Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
7 Department of Pediatrics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
8 School of Public Health, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada.
9 School of Kinesiology and Physical Activity Sciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
10 Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
11 School of Health, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada. lisa.kakinami@concordia.ca.
12 Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve West, Montréal, Québec, Canada. lisa.kakinami@concordia.ca.
13 Science College, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada. lisa.kakinami@concordia.ca.

Background: Physical characteristics and perceptions of an environment can have enduring effects on one's mental health. The present study aimed to determine whether a set of measures of neighborhood safety - independent built environment features, parents' perception of neighborhood safety and community cohesion, and children's perception of neighborhood safety - best related to symptoms of depression in young boys and girls from Montréal, Québec.

Methods: Data were from the Quebec Adipose and Lifestyle Investigation in Youth (QUALITY) cohort. Participants were aged 8 to 10 years (M = 9.5) at baseline (2005). Measures included: child symptoms of depression, neighborhood perception (child and parentally reported), and independent rater assessed visible disorder/neighborhood safety issues and road safety features. Multiple linear regressions were used to examine the relation between neighborhood safety measures and symptoms of depression for boys (n = 262) and girls (n = 212) at baseline and at follow-up time approximately 2 years later in 2008 after adjusting for baseline sex, age, body mass index, pubertal status, physical activity, family income, parent education, population density, and land-use mix. Analyses were sex stratified.

Results: Greater child perceived safety was associated with lower symptoms of depression in boys at both baseline and follow-up, and greater community cohesion was associated with lower symptoms of depression in girls at baseline. These results were not maintained after adjusting for multiple testing.

Conclusion: Future research should elucidate the more precise pathways linking neighborhood safety to symptoms of depression among children and consider differences across sexes.