Built Environment and Health Behaviors: Deconstructing the Black Box of Interactions-A Review of Reviews.

Anne-Sophie Travert,Meena Daivadanam,Kristi Sidney Annerstedt

doi:10.3390/ijerph16081454

Abstract

A review of reviews following a scoping review study design was conducted in order to deconstruct the black box of interactions between the built environment and human behaviors pertaining to physical activity and/or diet. In the qualitative analysis 107 records were included, 45 of which were also coded. Most review papers confirmed the influence of the built environment on the behaviors of interest with some noting that a same built environment feature could have different behavioral outcomes. The conceptual model developed sheds light on these mixed results and brings out the role of several personal and behavioral factors in the shift from the measured to the perceived built environment. This shift was found to shape individuals’ behaviors critically and to have the power of redefining the strength of every interaction. Apart from its theoretical relevance, this model has high practical relevance especially for the design and implementation of interventions with a behavioral component. Intervention researchers can use the model developed to identify and label the built environment and individual factors that can be measured objectively or perceived as facilitators, concurrent options and barriers, in order to develop comprehensive and multi-component intervention strategies.

Highlights

Research on the built environment and its relationship to human behaviors has mainly been influenced by urban studies and the development of socioecological models bringing out the complex mechanism of interactions between personal and environmental factors [1]
A total of 107 records were included in this scoping review and 45 of those were coded in Nvivo flowchart of identification selection of review papers for inclusion in the flowchart of identification andand selection of review papers for inclusion in the scoping scoping review
The conceptual model depicts the black box of interactions and deconstructs the complex relationship between measured and perceived aspects of the built environment as well as the interactive role of behavioral and personal factors

Summary

Introduction

Research on the built environment and its relationship to human behaviors has mainly been influenced by urban studies and the development of socioecological models bringing out the complex mechanism of interactions between personal and environmental factors [1]. This approach first developed by urban sociologists turned out to be relevant for the prevention of disease and promotion of health. Several studies have demonstrated that built environment factors such as the availability of transportation systems or the presence of grocery stores providing access to healthy food act as determinants of PA and nutritious dietary practices [6,7,8].

Results

Discussion

Conclusion