Development of Participatory Tools to Assess Physical Activity in Rural Areas in Austria

Abstract

Background Statistics show poor physical activity levels among all age groups in Austria. The nature of the built environment has a great impact on mobility, physical activity and on the health status of citizens. Community engagement in the development of public spaces is key to effective public health action and ensures that the concerns of residents are considered in new developments. Normally, however, assessments of the built environment are carried out by experts. The project „Gemeinden leben bewegt” (“Communities Living Actively”) aims to encourage citizens to be more physically active in their everyday lives by modifying the community environment. During this research project a multidisciplinary team developed participatory tools to assess the built environment in three communities in the Austrian federal state of Styria. Methods Firstly, semi-structured literature research was conducted with a defined search strategy to identify theories, models, concepts and methods for the assessment of built environments including a high degree of citizen participation. In two multidisciplinary workshops with experts from the fields of public health, occupational therapy, construction design and economics and social work, a method for a citizen-oriented assessment of the built environment was developed. This method consists of seven tools: (1) qualitative interviews with key persons in the communities, (2) multidisciplinary expert assessment of the built environment, (3) citizens’ assessment of the built environment, (4) discussions on social media, (5) questionnaires sent to every household to analyse mobility behaviour, (6) a participatory workshop to discuss ideas and the need for modifications and (7) an evaluation and scoring workshop to finalize plans for modification of the built environment. Results The need for modifications can be structured in four categories: footpaths and cycling routes, school environment, public places, traffic and security. The number of citizens involved (e.g. interviews with one key person, participatory workshops with 30 citizens) and the degree of civic participation (from simple briefing to decision-making) varied among the seven tools, depending on age (children, youth, adults, seniors), the role of citizens (key persons, stakeholders, political decision-makers) and the aim of the tool. Results from each tool were transferred to the following tools, which assured high-quality discussions and feedback loops. Conclusions This is the first participatory tool in Austria which has been developed by a multidisciplinary team to assess the built environment in rural communities.