Longitudinal Association of Built Environment Pattern with Physical Activity in a Community-Based Cohort of Elderly Hong Kong Chinese: A Latent Profile Analysis.

Jie-Sheng Lin,Zhi-Hui Lu,Jean Woo,Blanche Yu,Faye Ya-Fen Chan,Kevin Ka-Lun Lau,Jason Leung,Timothy Kwok

doi:10.3390/ijerph17124275

Abstract

A large number of studies have focused on the associations between single built environment (BE) characteristics and physical activity (PA). Combinations of BE characteristics offer a more comprehensive approach to identify the BE–PA associations. We aimed to examine the BE–PA associations in a cohort of elderly Hong Kong Chinese. Between 2001 and 2003, 3944 participants (65–98 years of age) were recruited and followed for a mean of 7.8 years. BE characteristics were assessed via geographic information system. PA levels were obtained using the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly questionnaire at baseline and three follow-ups. Latent profile analysis was first conducted to classify the BE characteristics, and linear mixed-effects models were then used to explore the longitudinal associations between the BE classes and changes in the PA levels. Three classes of BE were identified. Class 3 (characterized by greater green space and sky view factor) demonstrated a significant decline in household PA (β = −1.26, 95% confidence interval: −2.20, −0.33) during the study period, and a slower decline in walking PA (1.19 (0.42, 1.95)) compared with Class 2 (characterized by a greater proportion of residential land use). Our results indicate that BE patterns characterized by high green space and a sky view factor may help promote the walking PA level.

Highlights

Insufficient physical activity (PA) has become a global pandemic, with an estimated prevalence of27.5% adults (≥18 years) with insufficient PA in 2016 globally, and 14.1% in China [1]
Class 3 was characterized by a high coverage of green space and mean sky view factor (SVF), which accounted for 24.8%
Class 3 was characterized by a high coverage of green space and mean SVF, which accounted for 24.8% of the sample (N = 979) and was named “area near green space”

Summary

Introduction

Insufficient physical activity (PA) has become a global pandemic, with an estimated prevalence of. 27.5% adults (≥18 years) with insufficient PA in 2016 globally, and 14.1% in China [1]. Older age groups (≥65 years) are more likely to have insufficient PA, with a prevalence ranging from 45.0 to 72.7% [2,3]. While previous studies highlighted the association of individual-level factors (e.g., socio-demographic characteristics and psychological factors) with PA [4], social ecological models which emphasize multi-level influences of individual, social and environmental factors have recently gained popularity in promoting health behaviors such as PA [5]. The built environment (BE), which refers to. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 4275; doi:10.3390/ijerph17124275 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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