Abstract
Objective. To determine the perceived neighborhood environment (NE) variables that are associated with physical activity (PA) in urban areas in China. Methods. Parents of students at two junior high schools in Shanghai, one downtown and the other in the suburbs, were recruited to participate in the study. They completed an International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale-Abbreviated (NEWS-A) survey. Participant physical activity was also objectively measured using accelerometers. Results. Participants from downtown areas were more positively associated with transportation PA and leisure-time PA than respondents living in the suburbs. Residential density was found to be a significant positive predictor of recreational or leisure-based PA. Street connectivity was negatively associated with leisure time PA for respondents. Moderate-vigorous PA was found to be negatively associated with traffic safety. There were no significant associations between environmental factors and transportation PA. Women had higher levels of moderate-vigorous PA than men. Conclusions. The results of this study demonstrate that residential density, street connectivity, and traffic safety have a significant impact on Chinese middle-aged adults' PA, suggesting urban planning strategies for promoting positive public health outcomes.
Highlights
Much research has identified and quantified the health benefits of physical activity (PA) [1]
moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was found to be negatively associated with traffic safety in Model A
The results indicate possible associations between traffic safety and MVPA among Chinese adults and that two neighborhood environmental variables are significantly associated with leisure time PA after adjusting the demographic variables
Summary
Much research has identified and quantified the health benefits of physical activity (PA) [1]. Increased PA has been found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, osteoporosis, and depression [2]. One interesting trend found in countries with emergent economies is a consistent decline of PA associated with economic development [3]. China is experiencing a process of transition from a developing country to a developed one, with increases in urbanization/urban living and associated increases of physical inactivity [4, 5]. Average weekly physical activity among adults in China fell by 32% between 1991 and 2006 [5] and car ownership increased from 0.5% to 13.1% between 2000 and 2010 [6]. Some variation with age has been identified: participation in exercise by all Chinese residents was 14.1% but was the lowest amongst the
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