Environmental Correlates Of Physical Activity Research Articles

Psychological correlates of physical activity among adults living in rural and urban settings.

Middle-aged and older adults living in rural settings have been consistently less likely to report regular physical activity (PA) than those living in urban settings. While past literature has identified sociodemographic and environmental correlates of PA that may contribute to these differences, consideration of psychological correlates has been limited. A total of 95 rural and urban adults ≥50 years old provided self-reported sociodemographic information, PA level, and psychological correlates of PA including measures assessing motivation, self-efficacy, social support, and attitudes related to PA. The average participant age was 68.6 years, and most were female (62.1%) and married (70.5%). While PA level did not differ significantly between the rural and urban groups, different psychological correlates contributed significantly to separate rural and urban linear regression models considering PA status. Among rural adults, more positive attitudes toward PA, and greater PA self-efficacy and social support were associated with greater amounts of PA while for urban adults, no psychological correlates were significantly associated with PA. Psychosocial factors may be key considerations in developing more effective PA interventions in middle-aged and older adults living in rural areas.

O.4.4-10 Policy and environmental correlates of physical activity in Croatia

Abstract Purpose Although there are several studies that have determined the correlates of physical activity in the Republic of Croatia, policy and environmental correlates are still unknown. Therefore, we conducted a study with the main goal to examine associations of sport and exercise participation with perception of policy and environmental factors in Croatia, including opportunities for engaging in physical activities, the sports clubs offer, and level of the support from local authorities. Methods The study was conducted on 1031 randomly selected Croatian citizens using questionnaire containing questions about sport and exercise, participation, engagement opportunities for physical activities, the sports clubs’ and other service providers’ offer and level of the support from local authorities. In the multivariate logistic regression, participation in sports and exercise was the dependent variable, and the independent variables were perception of opportunities for physical activity, perception of local sports clubs’ and other service providers’ offer, and perception of local government support for physical activity. Results According to the findings of the logistic regression analysis, local sports clubs’ and other service providers’ offer as well as government support were identified as significant predictors of engagement in sport and exercise. To be specific, individuals who perceive their local sports clubs and other service providers as providing a greater range of opportunities, as well as those who feel that their local government supports physical activity, are more inclined to engage in sports and exercise activities. (p < 0.05). Conclusion Future strategies aimed to motivate citizens to engage in sports and exercise should be based on encouraging local authorities to collaborate with sports clubs and other service providers to create an enabling environment that supports physical activity participation. This could include providing funding and resources to sports clubs and service providers to enable them to offer a wider range of opportunities that cater to the diverse interests and needs of individuals in the community. Funding This work was supported by the Erasmus the “Creating Mechanisms for Continuous Implementation of the Sports Club for Health Guidelines in the European Union” (SCforH 2020-22) project, funded by the Erasmus+ Collaborative Partnerships grant (ref: 613434-EPP-1-2019-1-HR-8 SPO-SCP).

Environmental Correlates of Physical Activity and Screen-Time in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Seven-Country Observational Study.

This cross-sectional observational study sought to examine the environmental correlates of physical activity and screen-time among youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parents of youth with ASD (n = 1,165) from seven countries/regions provided responses to an online survey form measuring environmental correlates (i.e., physical activity neighborhood environment, social network, social trust and cohesion, bedroom media, social home environment) and outcomes (i.e., physical activity, screen-time). Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to determine environmental predictors of the outcomes. Physical activity neighborhood environment (B = 0.15, p = 0.047), social network (B = 0.16, p = 0.02), and social home environment (B = 1.07, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with physical activity, whereas social trust and cohesion and bedroom media were not. Further, social trust and cohesion (B = -0.14, p = 0.001), bedroom media (B = 0.10, p = 0.001), and social home environment (B = -0.16, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with screen-time while neighborhood environment and social network were not. The identified environmental attributes of physical activity and screen-time behaviors should be targeted for health promotion among youth with ASD.

Rural-urban differences in individual and environmental correlates of physical activity in Canadian adults

Considering interactions between barriers to physical activity, sociodemographic factors, and rurality can support an equity-focused approach to physical activity promotion. In this cross-sectional analysis of the Canadian Community Health Survey Barriers to Physical Activity Rapid Response module, we compared self-reported individual and social-environmental correlates of physical activity between rural and urban residents and explored interactions with sociodemographic factors. Lack of social support was associated with lower odds of meeting physical activity guidelines for rural residents (OR = 0.71 [0.57,0.89], p = 0.003), but not for urban residents (OR = 0.99 [0.84,1.17], p =.931). Limited access to low-cost facilities was associated with lower odds of meeting physical activity guidelines (OR = 0.85 [0.73,0.98], p = 0.030) regardless of location, but was reported more commonly as a barrier by rural males (27.3 % vs 8.6 % urban) and females (30.0 % vs 9.1 % urban). Inadequate social support was associated with lower odds of meeting physical activity guidelines in females (OR = 0.79 [0.66,0.94], p =.009), but not males (OR = 0.99 [0.84,1.17], p =.931). Individual-level barriers such as time, costs, enjoyment, and confidence were associated with meeting physical activity guidelines for both rural and urban residents. Social-environmental factors appear to be the main contributors to physical activity inequities between rural and urban residents. Interventions designed to bolster social connectedness may support physical activity engagement for people living in rural communities.

A family-based approach examining perceptions of an Australian TRYathlon series on children's health and development.

Regular physical activity supports children's physical and psychological health and wellbeing, and provides opportunities to build social and emotional skills such as resilience, confidence, and self-efficacy. Research has demonstrated that mass participant sporting events can serve as important social and environmental correlates of physical activity. This study sought to explore parents and children's perceived motivations and perspectives of participation in the Australian Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon (a non-competitive triathlon series), on children's health and well-being. An exploratory qualitative design utilizing seven focus groups were conducted with 27 family units including 31 parents and 61 children (age 7-15 years old). Data were recorded, professionally transcribed and then analyzed using thematic analysis. Three overarching themes were identified, including (1) motivations for event and physical activity participation, revealing social interaction, peer support and friendly competition as motivators for participation as well as parents' interest in supporting the development of healthy habits; (2) Perceived physical activity, fitness, and developmental benefits, detailing changes to the types of physical activity children performed as well as opportunities for children to develop physical skills and competencies; and (3) Perceived psychosocial benefits of participation, highlighting opportunities for children to develop and demonstrate independence and autonomy through event participation. Notably, parents and children identified benefits beyond immediate participation including increased family engagement and social support. Mass participant events hold the potential to elicit a range of benefits for children and their families; however, further efforts may be needed to engage less active or disengaged families.

A family-based approach examining perceptions of a TRYathlon series on children’s health and development

Introduction: Regular physical activity supports children’s physical and psychological health and wellbeing, and provides opportunities to build social and emotional skills such as resilience, confidence and self-efficacy. Nonetheless, most Australian children do not meet national physical activity guidelines. Further, a considerable proportion of children who were once sufficiently active are no longer. Research has demonstrated that mass participation sporting events can serve as important social and environmental correlates of physical activity.

Exploring the intersectionality of family SES and gender with psychosocial, behavioural and environmental correlates of physical activity in Dutch adolescents: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundExamining the correlates of adolescent’s physical activity (PA) and how they may differ according to the intersection of gender and family socioeconomic status (SES) can support the development of tailored interventions to more effectively promote adolescents’ PA. This study explored how the associations between psychosocial, behavioural and environmental factors and adolescent’s PA differed according to gender and family SES.MethodsThis study used data from the Dutch Youth Health Survey 2015. Adolescents (n = 9068) aged 12–19 were included in the study. The associations between psychosocial, behavioural, and environmental factors and PA (days per week engaging in at least one hour of PA) were examined with multilevel linear regression analysis. Potential interactions between these correlates, gender and family SES were explored.ResultsOn average, adolescents engaged in at least one hour of PA for 4,2 days per week. Poor self-perceived health, low peer social support, and a weak connection with the environment were all associated with lower PA in adolescents. Daily smoking, cannabis use, risk of problematic gaming and social media use, as well as lack of daily consumption of fruit, vegetables, water and breakfast were associated with lower PA, whereas binge drinking was not. Interactions revealed that poor self-perceived health was associated with lower PA in adolescents from moderate- and high-SES families, but not in low-SES adolescents, whereas cannabis use was only associated with lower PA amongst low-SES adolescents. Low peer social support was associated with lower PA across all groups, but it was most strongly associated with lower PA amongst male adolescents from low-SES families than in other subgroups. Amongst low-SES males, low peer social support was associated with a 1.47 reduction in days engaging in sufficient PA, compared with a 0.69 reduction for high-SES males.ConclusionsThis study identified several psychosocial, behavioural and environmental factors that can be targeted to potentially increase adolescent’s PA. We also found that correlates of PA differed according to the intersection of gender and family SES. Our findings suggest that PA interventions should be tailored according to gender and SES to address the specific needs, barriers and facilitators of different subgroups.

Location-specific psychosocial and environmental correlates of physical activity and sedentary time in young adolescents: preliminary evidence for location-specific approaches from a cross-sectional observational study

BackgroundA better understanding of the extent to which psychosocial and environmental correlates of physical activity are specific to locations would inform intervention optimization.PurposeTo investigate cross-sectional associations of location-general and location-specific variables with physical activity and sedentary time in three common locations adolescents spend time.MethodsAdolescents (N = 472,Mage = 14.1,SD = 1.5) wore an accelerometer and global positioning systems (GPS) tracker and self-reported on psychosocial (e.g., self-efficacy) and environmental (e.g., equipment) factors relevant to physical activity and sedentary time. We categorized each survey item based on whether it was specific to a location to generate psychosocial and environmental indices that were location-general or specific to either school, non-school, or home location. Physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time were based on time/location match to home, school, or all “other” locations. Mixed-effects models investigated the relation of each index with location-specific activity.ResultsThe location-general and non-school physical activity psychosocial indices were related to greater MVPA at school and “other” locations. The school physical activity environment index was related to greater MVPA and less sedentary time at school. The home activity environment index was related to greater MVPA at home. The non-school sedentary psychosocial index was related to less sedentary time at home. Interactions among indices revealed adolescents with low support on one index benefited (i.e., exhibited more optimal behavior) from high support on another index (e.g., higher scores on the location-general PA psychosocial index moderated lower scores on the home PA environment index). Concurrent high support on two indices did not provide additional benefit.ConclusionsNo psychosocial or environment indices, including location-general indices, were related to activity in all locations. Most of the location-specific indices were associated with activity in the matching location(s). These findings provide preliminary evidence that psychosocial and environmental correlates of activity are location specific. Future studies should further develop location-specific measures and evaluate these constructs and whether interventions may be optimized by targeting location-specific psychosocial and environmental variables across multiple locations.

Personal, social, and environmental correlates of physical activity and sport participation in an adolescent Turkish population

BackgroundBenefits of physical activity has been shown for adolescents; however, there is a decline trend in number of adolescents meeting current WHO recommendations. This trend underlines the importance of identifying factors associated with adolescents’ physical activity level (PAL) with considerations of regional and cultural differences to plan and implement effective policies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine personal, ecological, and social factors associated with PAL and sport participation in Turkish adolescents aged 11–14 years. A cross-sectional study was conducted by including 996 adolescents aged between 11 and 14 years from 39 secondary schools in İstanbul, Turkey. Logistic regression analyses performed to identify the significant personal (age, gender, sleep time, screen time, BMIz score, having siblings), ecological (presence of playground, type of school transportation), and social (family income, engaging a physical activity with family, and preferred activity at school breaks) predictors of PAL and sport participation.ResultsAdolescents who were active during break time at school (p < 0.001), engaging a physical activity with family (p < 0.001), and did not have a sibling (p = 0.029) were more likely to be physically active. Adolescents behaved active during break time at school (p < 0.001), had a playground at home (p < 0.001), spending time with family for physical activity (p < 0.001), and did not have a sibling (p = 0.021) were more likely to participate in a sport activity.ConclusionsPredictors of PAL in this study indicates the need to promote active break time in school, increased physical activity time with family, and to design environmental policies to increase number of playgrounds.

Levels and correlates of physical activity and screen time among early years children (2-5 years): Cross-cultural comparisons between Canadian and South Korean data.

Cross-cultural research can provide insight into whether levels and correlates of movement behaviours among early years children vary across different cultural contexts. This study (1) compared children's physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST) and parental and environmental correlates of PA and ST between samples of Canadian and South Korean (Korean thereafter) early years children (2-5 years) and (2) investigated parental and environmental correlates of PA and ST and whether country moderates the relationships. Cross-sectional data from 121 Canadian children (3.4 years; 49.6% girls) and 101 Korean children (3.4 years; 54.9% girls) who participated in the Parents' Role in Establishing healthy Physical activity and Sedentary behaviour habits (PREPS) study were used. Demographic information, children's PA, ST, PA- or ST-specific parental cognitions and behaviours, and home and neighbourhood environments were measured using a proxy-reported questionnaire. Two-tailed independent samples T test or Mann Whitney U test, chi-square tests, linear regression and moderation analyses were performed. Canadian children spent more time in non-organized PA compared to Korean children (111 vs. 63 min/day), whereas time spent in organized PA was higher in Korean children than Canadian children (25 vs. 9 min/day). Canadian children had more ST than Korean children (159 vs. 110 min/day). Similarly, Canadian parents reported higher screen (142 vs. 116 min/day) and sitting time (317 vs. 286 min/day) than Korean parents. Though children's behaviours, as well as parental cognitions and behaviours, varied between the two samples, similar correlates of children's PA and ST were observed. The relationship between presence of electronics in children's bedrooms and children's ST was moderated by country, with Canadian children showing a stronger relationship than Korean children. Supporting parents to adopt cognitions and behaviours that are conducive to healthy PA and ST patterns of their own and their early years children may be important for both Canada and Korea.

International Physical Activity and Built Environment Study of adolescents: IPEN Adolescent design, protocol and measures.

IntroductionOnly international studies can provide the full variability of built environments and accurately estimate effect sizes of relations between contrasting environments and health-related outcomes. The aims of the International Physical Activity and Environment Study of Adolescents (IPEN Adolescent) are to estimate the strength, shape and generalisability of associations of the community environment (geographic information systems (GIS)-based and self-reported) with physical activity and sedentary behaviour (accelerometer-measured and self-reported) and weight status (normal/overweight/obese).Methods and analysisThe IPEN Adolescent observational, cross-sectional, multicountry study involves recruiting adolescent participants (ages 11–19 years) and one parent/guardian from neighbourhoods selected to ensure wide variations in walkability and socioeconomic status using common protocols and measures. Fifteen geographically, economically and culturally diverse countries, from six continents, participated: Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hong Kong SAR, India, Israel, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Spain and USA. Countries provided survey and accelerometer data (15 countries), GIS data (11), global positioning system data (10), and pedestrian environment audit data (8). A sample of n=6950 (52.6% female; mean age=14.5, SD=1.7) adolescents provided survey data, n=4852 had 4 or more 8+ hours valid days of accelerometer data, and n=5473 had GIS measures. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour were measured by waist-worn ActiGraph accelerometers and self-reports, and body mass index was used to categorise weight status.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval was received from each study site’s Institutional Review Board for their in-country studies. Informed assent by adolescents and consent by parents was obtained for all participants. No personally identifiable information was transferred to the IPEN coordinating centre for pooled datasets. Results will be communicated through standard scientific channels and findings used to advance the science of environmental correlates of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and weight status, with the ultimate goal to stimulate and guide actions to create more activity-supportive environments internationally.

‘Green walkability’ and physical activity in UK Biobank

Background: Urban design features, such as walkable neighbourhoods and greenspace, might protect human health by enabling healthy behaviours, including increased physical activity. By definition, neighbourhoods that are ‘walkable’ are high density, whereas green spaces (e.g., parks) are inherently low density environments. We aimed to assess the impact of greenspace cover on associations of neighbourhood walkability and physical activity. Methods: We created a novel ‘green walkability’ score that integrated greenspace cover (within a 1000m walkable network buffer) with standard walkability metrics – population density, street junction density and destination density. We applied the green ‘walkability score’ to the residential addresses of UK Biobank participants living in Greater London (n= 58,587). We used logistic regression models to assess associations of ‘green walkability’ versus standard walkability scores with physical activity outcomes, adjusted for age, sex, household income and neighbourhood deprivation. Results: Higher ‘green walkability’ was beneficially associated with active commuting behaviour, active non-commute transport, International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) responses, and achieving weekly UK physical activity guideline recommendations. Associations of ‘green walkability’ with physical activity outcomes, however, were attenuated compared to standard walkability score associations. For example, difference in odds of walking for non-commute transport between the least walkable and most walkable quintile in UK Biobank were smaller for ‘green walkability’ (odds ratio (OR) 4.46; 95% CI 4.12, 4.84) than standard walkability (OR 6.37; 95% CI 5.85, 6.94). Conclusion: Our ‘green walkability’ approach highlights the need to account for environmental correlates of physical activity (e.g., density of features) in greenspace and physical activity assessments, and might partially explain inconsistencies in direction and size of effect in the greenspace-physical activity literature. Prioritising neighbourhood density and greenspace exposure, which are inversely related in space, to support active, healthy lifestyles, is an important urban design challenge.

Physical activity and its associated factors in femaleswith type 2 diabetes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Despite the benefits of physical activity (PA) for the management of type 2 diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), the topic of PA is poorly addressed in Saudi Arabia (SA), especially in females with T2DM. The present study examined PA and its associated factors in females with T2DM in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This observational cross-sectional study was performed in a random sample of 372 women with T2DM. A face-to-face interview that covered PA, health and environmental correlates of PA was performed. Discriminant analysis was used to determine which barriers had the greatest impact on PA in these women. The results showed that approximately 26.3% of the study participants met PA recommendations. Multivariate linear regression revealed lower levels of PA were associated with women who had more than three children (β = -0.17) compared to women with no children, older age (β = -0.18), women with a duration of diabetes ≥ 6 years (β = -0.16), women who were obese (β = -0.23), women with no family support (β = -0.20), no friend support (β = -0.13) and no healthcare provider support (β = -0.14). Discriminant analysis indicated that culture and tradition, lack of skills and knowledge, safety, fatigue, lack of time, weather conditions, and lack of facilities were the barriers that differentiated between the women who met and those who did not meet the PA recommendations. The present study suggests that the prevalence of PA is low and number of children, age, duration of diabetes, Obesity, family support, friend support and healthcare provider support are identified correlates of PA. These findings are valuable and should be used to design and implement future PA interventions, especially for women with T2DM. Healthcare providers may improve exercise levels and identify the specific barriers to reaching the recommended level of PA to improve health outcomes for each patient.

Satisfaction with neighbourhood environment moderates the associations between objective neighbourhood environment and leisure-time physical activity in older adults in Beijing, China.

Asia is ageing fast. To develop more effective health promotion initiatives among older adults, more knowledge of the environmental correlates of physical activity is needed. However, research in this age group is rare, and most existing studies have been conducted within Western contexts. The present study explores the interaction effects of objective neighbourhood environment and satisfaction with neighbourhood environment on leisure-time physical activity in older adults in Beijing, China. This study follows a cross-sectional design and involves older adults aged 65years and over. The questionnaire was collected in 2018 and 2,061 older adults living in Yanshan, Beijing, China were included in the analysis. Linear regression was applied to examine the effects. The findings show that residents who live in places with higher levels of walkability, or those who are more satisfied with neighbourhood environment (either path/road/street condition or recreational resources) spent significantly longer participating in leisure-time physical activity. However, the objective neighbourhood accessibility of recreational resources was not a significant factor of physical activity. Satisfaction with neighbourhood recreational resources can significantly moderate the relationship between objective neighbourhood accessibility of recreational resources and leisure-time physical activity respectively. This is the first study conducted in China examining the relationships between objective neighbourhood environment, satisfaction with neighbourhood environment and leisure-time physical activity among older adults. This study may have implications for urban planning and service provision planning. The design of built environments that considers quality rather than only quantity can play a significant role in improving older adults' leisure-time physical activity.

Objectively Measured Environmental Correlates of Toddlers' Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior.

Examine objectively measured environmental correlates of physical activity and sedentary behavior in toddlers (12-35 mo). Participants were recruited at immunization appointments in Edmonton, Canada. Physical activity and sedentary time were objectively measured via accelerometers (n = 149). The parents reported screen time and demographic characteristics via a questionnaire (n = 249). Postal codes were used to link neighborhood data via geographic information systems. Neighborhood data included 4 environmental domains: functional (ie,walkability), safety (ie,crime), esthetic (ie,tree density), and destination (ie,cul-de-sac density, wooded area percentage, green space percentage, recreation density, park density). Weather data (temperature and precipitation) were obtained via historical weather records. Multilevel multiple linear regression models were used to account for clustering of participants within neighborhoods and adjustment of demographic variables. Each additional 10°C of mean temperature was significantly associated with 5.74 (95% confidence interval, 0.96-10.50) minutes per day of higher light-intensity physical activity, though the effect size was small (f2 = 0.08). No other significant associations were observed. The lack of significant findings for neighborhood environment factors suggests proximal factors (eg,features of the home environment) may be more important in predicting toddlers' physical activity and sedentary behavior. More indoor physical activity opportunities may be needed on colder days for toddlers.

Environmental correlates of physical activity among children 10 to 13\u2009years old in Wallonia (Belgium)

BackgroundIn Belgium, as in many other countries, the juvenile practice of physical activity is insufficient. A growing attention has been paid to environmental factors that may influence physical activity but with inconsistent findings. This study aims to estimate the association between daily life environment characteristics and physical activity among children 10 to 13 years old in Wallonia (Belgium).MethodsData were collected using a self-administered questionnaire among 1940 children (HBSC survey). Associations between factors related to the children’s living environment and physical activity (vigorous physical activity (VPA) ≥ twice a week; global physical activity (GPA) defined as VPA ≥ twice a week and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity ≥1 h/day) were estimated using logistic regressions adjusted for potential confounders.ResultsNearly three-quarters of the children practiced VPA ≥ twice a week, but only one in five practiced GPA consistent with recommendations. After adjustment, children living in a neighborhood with playgrounds or parks were more likely to achieve a recommended level of GPA (OR: 1.34 [1.04–1.73]), as were children who reported that other youngsters were present in their neighborhood with whom they could play outside (OR: 1.50 [1.12–1.99]). The presence of neighborhood children was also positively associated with VPA (OR: 1.80 [1.42–2.29]); in stratified analyses, the association was significant only among boys (OR: 1.95 [1.34–2.82]). Moreover, and only in girls (OR: 1.66 [1.10–2.49]), a feeling of safety in one’s neighborhood was positively associated with VPA. No association was found between VPA and the existence of a yard or a garden at home to go playing outside.ConclusionOur results argue for developing actions aimed at creating living environments more favorable to children’s daily physical activity. More specifically, they help better understand the environment of Belgian children and thus contribute to better identify their needs.

Evaluating the impact of improvements in urban green space on older adults\u2019 physical activity and wellbeing: protocol for a natural experimental study

BackgroundCreating or improving urban green space has the potential to be an effective, sustainable and far-reaching way to increase physical activity and improve other aspects of wellbeing in the population. However, there is a dearth of well-conducted natural experimental studies examining the causal effect of changing urban green space on physical activity and wellbeing. This is especially true in older adults and in the United Kingdom. This paper describes a natural experimental study to evaluate the effect of four small-scale urban street greening interventions on older adults’ physical activity and wellbeing over a 1-year period, relative to eight matched comparison sites. All sites are located in deprived urban neighbourhoods in Greater Manchester, United Kingdom.MethodsComponents of the interventions include tree and flower planting, and artificial tree decorations. Eight unimproved comparison sites were selected based on a systematic process of matching using several known objective and subjective environmental correlates of physical activity in older adults. The outcome measures are physical activity and two other behavioural indicators of wellbeing (Connect: connecting with other people; and Take Notice: taking notice of the environment), collected using a newly developed observation tool. The primary outcome is Take Notice behaviour due to largest effects on this behaviour being anticipated from improvements in the aesthetic quality of green space at the intervention sites. Baseline data collection occurred in September 2017 before the interventions were installed in November 2017. Follow-up data collection will be repeated in February/ March 2018 (6 months) and September 2018 (12 months).DiscussionThe present study permits a rare opportunity to evaluate the causal effects of small-scale changes in urban green space in an understudied population and setting. Although the interventions are expected to have small effects on the outcomes, the present study contributes to developing natural experiment methodology in this field by addressing key methodological weaknesses causing high risk of bias in previous natural experimental studies. Key improvements to reduce risk of bias in the present study are rigorous matching of multiple comparison sites and appropriate statistical control of key confounders.Trial registrationRetrospectively registered with study ID NCT03575923. Date of registration: 3 July 2018.

A Person-Centered Analysis of Motivation for Physical Activity and Perceived Neighborhood Environment in Residents of Assisted Living Facilities.

This study sought to identify profiles of individual, social, and perceived neighborhood environmental correlates of physical activity (PA) and to explore differences between the identified profiles in PA. Residents of assisted living facilities ( N = 87, M age = 77.57 years) were recruited for the cross-sectional study. Participants reported their perceived support from important others for PA, basic psychological need satisfaction and motivation for PA, and perceived neighborhood environment around the assisted living facilities. Engagement in light PA and moderate-to-vigorous PA was measured by accelerometers over 1 week. We identified three profiles using latent profile analysis: ‘low self-determined and minimally supported', ‘moderately self-determined and supported', and ‘highly self-determined and supported'. Results showed participants in the highly self-determined and supported profile engaged in higher levels of light PA and moderate-to-vigorous PA than participants from other profiles. Findings showed perceptions of the neighborhood environment should be taken into account with motivation regarding PA.

Active travel despite motorcar access. A city-wide, GIS-based multilevel study on neighborhood walkability and active travel in Germany

Abstract Background Neighborhood walkability has consistently been associated with utilitarian walking and total physical activity in non-European studies. However, evidence on environmental correlates of physical activity in Europe is still scarce and little is known about potential interactions between neighborhood walkability, active travel, and individual or household related characteristics including available means of transport. Methods The study examined the association of neighborhood walkability with self-reported active travel in Bielefeld, Germany. Travel survey data from 2867 adult residents and geographic information for 88 neighborhoods were analyzed in multilevel Poisson regression models including relevant interaction terms to assess potential effect modifications by age, gender, household members, available means of transport, and neighborhood socio-economic status. Results Active travel frequencies increased with female gender, available bicycles, neighborhood walkability and decreased with more household members, motorcars, and public transport passes within households. In the final model, a one standard deviation change in neighborhood walkability was associated with an estimated 27.5% increase in active travel trips. Stronger effects were found at younger ages and in participants with greater motorcar availability. No evidence was found for an effect modification by neighborhood socioeconomic status, household members, available public transport passes, or gender. Conclusions The positive association between neighborhood walkability and active travel shown in other urban contexts was confirmed in a historically evolved city in Germany. The observed effect varied with respondents’ age and available motorcars, which is in line with recent findings and suggests that public health advocacy in urban planning could promote physical activity on a population level, including those with motorcar access.

Perceived neighborhood walkability and physical exercise: An examination of casual communication in a social process

Despite the accumulated evidence for the environmental correlates of physical activity, social processes underlying this association are not entirely clear. This study positions communication characterized by weak ties as a social mechanism linking neighborhood walkability with physical exercise. Data from a survey of Chicago residents show that perceived neighborhood walkability is positively related to frequency of weak-tie communication. Frequency of weak-tie communication is related positively to perceived social cohesion and negatively to anonymity, both of which are significantly related to frequency of physical exercise in the neighborhood. Data also show a sequential indirect relationship involving perceived neighborhood walkability, weak-tie communication, anonymity, and physical exercise. Implications are discussed in terms of the role of communication in promoting locality-based physical exercise.