Healthy places and spaces: the impact of the built environment and active transport on physical activity and population health

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 155-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Rissel ◽  
Peter McCue
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Active Transport ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Is missing geographic positioning system data in accelerometry studies a problem, and is imputation the solution?

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin Meseck ◽  
Marta M. Jankowska ◽  
Jasper Schipperijn ◽  
Loki Natarajan ◽  
Suneeta Godbole ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Gps Data ◽  
Positioning System ◽  
Accelerometer Data ◽  
Generalised Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

The main purpose of the present study was to assess the impact of global positioning system (GPS) signal lapse on physical activity analyses, discover any existing associations between missing GPS data and environmental and demographics attributes, and to determine whether imputation is an accurate and viable method for correcting GPS data loss. Accelerometer and GPS data of 782 participants from 8 studies were pooled to represent a range of lifestyles and interactions with the built environment. Periods of GPS signal lapse were identified and extracted. Generalised linear mixed models were run with the number of lapses and the length of lapses as outcomes. The signal lapses were imputed using a simple ruleset, and imputation was validated against person-worn camera imagery. A final generalised linear mixed model was used to identify the difference between the amount of GPS minutes pre- and post-imputation for the activity categories of sedentary, light, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Over 17% of the dataset was comprised of GPS data lapses. No strong associations were found between increasing lapse length and number of lapses and the demographic and built environment variables. A significant difference was found between the pre- and postimputation minutes for each activity category. No demographic or environmental bias was found for length or number of lapses, but imputation of GPS data may make a significant difference for inclusion of physical activity data that occurred during a lapse. Imputing GPS data lapses is a viable technique for returning spatial context to accelerometer data and improving the completeness of the dataset.

Evaluating the Effective Physical Indicators of Built Environment on Promotion of Sustainable Transportation: The Case of Sanandaj City

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 774-799
Author(s):  
Farzin Charehjoo ◽  
Nassim Hoorijani
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Sustainable Transportation ◽  
Neighborhood Design ◽  
Statistical Population ◽  
The Impact

The main goal of this research is to evaluate the relationship between the built environment and public health of citizens in four different buffers of Sanandaj, Kurdistan province, Iran. There is a growing body of evidence that links the neighborhood design to public health and argues that the built environment impacts on the public health of people through the weakening or strengthening of sustainable transportation (walking, cycling, and public transportation) and physical activity. Regular physical activity has a significant impact on the health of individuals, and this can be the best way to cope with several diseases. The statistical population of this study includes people between the age of 18 and 65 years in Sanandaj city. The method used to investigate the normality of dependent variables is the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test; the assessment of the resident’s difference of physical activities is conducted through one-way variance; the impact of the built environment on physical activities is assessed through a multivariate regression test, and the effect of physical activity on the health of the individuals is evaluated through a correlation test. This study, by explaining the characteristics of the built environment in four different buffers, has exhibited that the environment supporting physical activity of pedestrians plays a critical role in increasing the amount of physical activity they engage in.

scholarly journals Influence of the built environment of Nanjing’s Urban Community on the leisure physical activity of the elderly: an empirical study

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhi-jian Wu ◽  
Yanliqing Song ◽  
Hou-lei Wang ◽  
Fan Zhang ◽  
Fang-hui Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Linear Regression Method ◽  
Street Connectivity ◽  
Recreational Physical Activity ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Urbanization and aging are global phenomena that offer unique challenges in different countries. A supportive environment plays an important role in addressing the issues of health behavioral change and health promotion (e.g., prevent chronic illnesses, promote mental health) among older adults. With the development of the socio-ecological theoretical model, studies on the impact of supportive environments on physical activity have become popular in the public health field in the EU and US. Meanwhile, very few Chinese studies have examined the relationship between built environment features and older adults’ physical activity at the ecological level. The purpose of the study is to investigate how the factors part of the built environment of Nanjing’s communities also influence leisure time physical activity among the elderly. Methods Using a socio-ecological model as a theoretical framework, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 399 elderly people from 19 communities in Nanjing, China, using a one-on-one questionnaire to collect data, including participants’ perceived built environment and self-reported physical activity. A multivariate linear regression method was used to analyze the factors influencing their recreational physical activity. Results This study found that compared to older people with low average monthly income, the recreational physical activity of the elderly with average monthly incomes between 1001 and 2000 ¥ (β = 23.31, p < 0.001) and 2001 ¥ or more (β = 21.15, p < 0.001) are significantly higher. After controlling for individual covariates, street connectivity (β = 7.34, p = 0.030) and street pavement slope (β = − 7.72, p = 0.020), we found that two out of ten built environment factors indicators influence their physical activity. The importance of each influencing factor ranked from highest to lowest are monthly average income, street pavement slope, and street connectivity. Other factors were not significantly related to recreational physical activity by the elderly. Conclusions Older adults with a high income were more likely to participate in recreational physical activity than those with a low income. In order to positively impact physical activity in older adults and ultimately improve health, policymakers and urban planners need to ensure that street connectivity and street pavement slope are factored into the design and development of the urban environment.

scholarly journals Walkable Environments and Healthy Urban Moves: Urban Context Features Assessment Framework Experienced in Milan

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Rebecchi ◽  
Maddalena Buffoli ◽  
Marco Dettori ◽  
Letizia Appolloni ◽  
Antonio Azara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Active Transport ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Assessment Framework ◽  
Design Recommendations ◽  
The City

Recent studies in public health have focused on determining the influences of the built environment on the population’s physical and mental health status. In order to promote active transport and physical activity, considered favorable behavior for the prevention non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as obesity, it is necessary to reduce the negative effects of the built environment and develop positive ones, such as, for example, a walkable urban space. The aim of the research is to define a city’s walkability assessment framework capable of highlighting points of strength and weakness in its urban environment. All of the aspects that have a direct influence (evidence-based) on fostering the adoption of healthy lifestyles or promoting active transport as a strategy to increase the level of physical activity due to the existence of daily urban travel should be considered. After conducting a literature review aimed at identifying all of the existing assessment tools, 20 research studies were examined in detail. The new evaluation method arises from the comparison and critical selection of the various qualitative–quantitative indicators found, integrated into a multi-criteria analysis structure of dual-scale survey, with reference to walkability and paying attention to those indicators that have implications on health promotion. The new assessment framework, named Milano Walkability Measurement (MWM), is applicable in different urban contexts and was tested in two different areas of Milan. The Macro dimension (i.e., Density, Diversity, and Design criteria) refers to the urban scale and examines the city from a top view. It describes quantitatively the overall urban factors (urban area size equal to 1.5 Km2; typology of data: archival). The Micro dimension (i.e., Usefulness, Safeness, Comfort, and Aesthetics criteria) investigates the city at the street scale level. It describes qualitatively features of the outdoor spaces (road length of about 500/700 mt; typology of data: observational). Finally, the framework was weighted by comparison with a panel of experts. The expected results were reflected in the design recommendations based on the collected qualitative-quantitative data. The developed assessment method brings innovative criteria such as the multi-scaling assessment phase (Macro and Micro) and the ability to take into consideration aspects that according to the literature have relationships with health promotion linked to the improvement of a healthy lifestyle, related to daily active transportation choices. The design recommendations are useful both to policy-makers, to make evidence-based specific choices, and to designers, to understand what aspects of the urban environment must be improved or implemented in order to promote a walkable city.

scholarly journals Study on the Impact of the Objective Characteristics and Subjective Perception of the Built Environment on Residents’ Physical Activities in Fuzhou, China

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lizhen Zhao ◽  
Zhenjiang Shen ◽  
Yanji Zhang ◽  
Fubin Sheng
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Structural Equations ◽  
Subjective Perception ◽  
Direct Impact ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
General Physical ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Many researchers have confirmed a correlation between the built environment and physical activity. However, most studies are based on the objective characteristics of the built environment, and seldom involve the residents’ subjective perception. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between the subjective and objective characteristics of the built environment and physical activity at the community scale. Data consists of that collected from a social survey, Points of Interest (POI), the road network, and land use in Fuzhou, China. The duration of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) within a week is used to represent the general physical activity of residents. Security perception is introduced as an intermediary variable. SPSS software is used for factor analysis and Amos software for statistical analysis. Structural equations are set up to analyse the relationship between these variables. The final results show that: (1) The objective characteristics of the built environment have no direct impact on the development of leisure MVPA, but it can indirectly affect leisure MVPA through residents’ subjective perception of the built environment; (2) The subjective perception of residents has a significant impact on the duration of MVPA, the subjective perception of humanized space has a direct impact on the duration of MVPA, and destination accessibility and urban environment maintenance has an indirect impact through community public security perception; and (3) The individuals’ attributes such as gender and self-evaluated socioeconomic status have negative effects on the duration of leisure MVPA, and an individual’s love of sports has a positive effect on MVPA.

Physical activity and active transport are predicted by adolescents’ different built environment perceptions

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreia Nogueira Pizarro ◽  
Maria Paula Santos ◽  
José Carlos Ribeiro ◽  
Jorge Mota
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Active Transport

scholarly journals Legacies of Environmental Injustice on Neighborhood Violence, Poverty and Active Living in an African American Community

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 425-432
Author(s):  
Erica Payton Foh ◽  
Rashida R. Brown ◽  
Kunga Denzongpa ◽  
Sandra Echeverria
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
African American ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Active Living ◽  
High Poverty ◽  
Ethnic Segregation ◽  
Environmental Injustice ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
The Impact

Features of the built environment such as parks and open spaces contribute to increased physical activity in populations, while living in neighborhoods with high poverty, racial/ethnic segregation, presence of neighborhood problems, and violence has been associated with less active living. Our present study examined the factors that may facilitate or hinder the long-term success of built environment interventions aimed at promoting physical activity in com­munities with a legacy of environmental injustice. The data for this study came from a larger assessment of the impact of a new local park in Newark, NJ. Analysis included all adults from the original study population who self-identified as African American/ Black (N=95).To provide an in-depth understanding of how neighborhood social and physical features influence physical activity among African Americans living in high poverty neighborhoods, we analyzed data from two focus groups with a total of 14 participants, and six in-depth interviews held in 2009- 2010.Survey results indicated high exposure to violence, and associations between neigh­borhood features and walking. Self-reported neighborhood walkability was associated with increased walking (P=.01), while in­creased perception of neighborhood safety was associated with less walking (P=.01). Qualitative results indicated that residents perceived the new park as a positive change, but also expressed concern about the presence of violence and lack of social cohesion among neighbors, with younger generations expressing less optimism than the elderly. Positive changes associated with improvements to the built environment may be limited by social conditions such as neighborhood violence.These mixed findings suggest that poli­cies and initiatives aimed at improving the built environment should address pov­erty, safety, and social cohesion to ensure more active living communities.Ethn Dis. 2021:31(3):425-432; doi:10.18865/ed.31.3.425

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