Built and Social Environment by Systematic Social Observation and Leisure-Time Physical Activity Report among Brazilian Adults: a Population-Based Study

Physical and social neighborhood disorder in Latin American cities: a scoping review

Neighborhood disorder is an important aspect that may influence the health of residents in urban areas. The aims of this study were to map and systematize methods for measuring physical and social neighborhood disorder in studies conducted in Latin American cities. By means of a scoping review, articles published from 2000 in English, Spanish, and Portuguese with the following descriptors were mapped: neighborhood, physical disorder, and social disorder. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE (PubMed), LILACS (Virtual Health Library), Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. Information on authorship, year, study type, locality, data source, target population, outcome, dominion, indicator, method, geographic unit, and unit of analysis was extracted. Variables from the disorder-related studies were extracted and grouped by similarity of content and themes. A total of 22 articles were identified, all published between 2012 and 2022, the majority in Brazil (n = 16). The perception of the individual was the most used method. The most frequent theme addressed in the physical disorder dominion was public streets (n = 20) and security (n = 15), in the social disorder dominion. A lack of consensus in the literature regarding variables used to measure physical and social neighborhood disorder in Latin American cities was detected. In addition to the need for standardization of the theme, studies to verify the sustainability of proposed measurement methods relevant to dynamically classify and compare urban neighborhoods and health impacts based on levels of exposure to physical and social disorder, are recommended.

The Impact of the Built Environment and Social Environment on Physical Activity: A Scoping Review

This scoping review aims to provide an overview of the current state of physical activity research, focusing on the interplay between built and social environments and their respective influences on physical activity. We comprehensively searched electronic databases to identify relevant studies published between 2000 and 2022. A total of 35 articles have been reviewed based on the research question. The review found that built and social environments influence physical activity, and consideration of people's perceptions of their surroundings can provide further insight. The literature was summarized, and recommendations were made for future research. Findings suggest that interventions targeting built and social environments can promote physical activity effectively. However, limitations in the literature exist, including a need for more standardization in research methods and consistency in measurement tools.

Neighborhood factors associated with leisure-time physical activity in a Brazilian city

The purpose of this study was to estimate the association between environmental variables and leisure-time physical activity levels in an adult population of a medium-sized city in Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study with a sample of 965 adults (20–59 years). Individual, socioeconomic, demographic and behavioral data were obtained through a population-based survey. Environmental data were collected through direct observation and subsequently georeferenced. The outcome variable was leisure-time physical activity level, dichotomized as insufficiently active (<150 min/week) and active (≥150 min/week). Physical activity-related facilities were categorized as public or private, and food outlets as healthy, unhealthy or mixed. Monthly per capita income and crime rate by census tract were used to categorize the social environment. Statistical analysis was performed using binary logistic regression (generalized estimating equation models). A direct association was found between the availability of public (adjusted OR = 2.16; 95% CI = 1.44–3.25) and private (adjusted OR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.02–1.44) physical activity facilities in the census tract and leisure-time physical activity. A greater availability of mixed food establishments was associated with higher leisure-time physical activity levels (adjusted OR = 1.10; 95% CI = 1.004–1.22). Environmental characteristics can contribute together to leisure-time physical activity and could be the focus of policies aimed at promoting physical activity in middle-income countries.

Perception of the Neighborhood Environment, Physical Activity by Domain and Sitting Time in Brazilian Adults

This study aimed to examine the association between the neighborhood environment and domain-specific physical activity and sitting time in Brazilian adults. This cross-sectional study included 1803 adults (53.7% women) from Brazil's five regions (North, Northeast, Midwest, Southeast and South). The perception of the environment was evaluated via a questionnaire. We considered seven indicators of the neighborhood environment: land use mix-diversity, land use mix-access, street connectivity, walking/cycling facilities, aesthetics, safety from traffic and safety from crime. Using the IPAQ, we evaluated physical activity (transport and leisure) and sitting time. Overall, land use mix-diversity (β = 3.22; 95% CI = 0.26, 6.19), land use mix-access (β = 2.27; 95% CI = 0.76, 3.79), and walking/cycling facilities (β = 2.42; 95% CI = 0.35, 4.49) were positively associated with leisure-time physical activity (min/week). On the other hand, only land use mix-diversity (β = 3.65; 95% CI = 0.63, 5.49) was positively associated with transport physical activity (min/week). No neighborhood environment indicator was associated with sitting time (min/day). Perception of the neighborhood environment was associated with physical activity (transport and leisure), while no significant associations occurred with sitting time among the five regions of Brazil. The neighborhood environment can be a viable component in the promotion of physical activity, but geographic diversity must be considered.

A Geographical Analysis of Socioeconomic and Environmental Drivers of Physical Inactivity in Post Pandemic Cities: The Case Study of Chicago, IL, USA

The pandemic’s lockdown has made physical inactivity unavoidable, forcing many people to work from home and increasing the sedentary nature of their lifestyle. The link between spatial and socio-environmental dynamics and people’s levels of physical activity is critical for promoting healthy lifestyles and improving population health. Most studies on physical activity or sedentary behaviors have focused on the built environment, with less attention to social and natural environments. We illustrate the spatial distribution of physical inactivity using the space scan statistic to supplement choropleth maps of physical inactivity prevalence in Chicago, IL, USA. In addition, we employ geographically weighted regression (GWR) to address spatial non-stationarity of physical inactivity prevalence in Chicago per census tract. Lastly, we compare GWR to the traditional ordinary least squares (OLS) model to assess the effect of spatial dependency in the data. The findings indicate that, while access to green space, bike lanes, and living in a diverse environment, as well as poverty, unsafety, and disability, are associated with a lack of interest in physical activities, limited language proficiency is not a predictor of an inactive lifestyle. Our findings suggest that physical activity is related to socioeconomic and environmental factors, which may help guide future physical activity behavior research and intervention decisions, particularly in identifying vulnerable areas and people.

Perceived neighborhood and fall history among community-dwelling older adults living in a large Brazilian urban area: a multilevel approach

Few studies have examined the neighborhood features related to falls in the older population in low-and-middle-income countries, including Brazil. This study aimed to evaluate if perceived neighborhood features are related to falls among older Brazilian adults living in a large urban area. This cross-sectional study was conducted using data from 834 participants (≥60 years) from a multistage household survey in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The association between fall history in the previous year and perceived neighborhood features (quality of services, physical and social disorder, and safety) was examined using multilevel logistic regression. The fall prevalence was 13.6%. Older adults living in neighborhoods with a higher physical disorder were more likely to report fall in the previous year, even after controlling for demographic, clinical and social variables (OR = 2.59; 95% CI = 1.14-5.87). The other neighborhood features investigated were not associated with a fall history. Our findings suggest that improving the physical environment represents an important strategy to prevent falls in the Brazilian urban older population.

Built environment, physical activity, and obesity of adults in Pingshan District, Shenzhen City in Southern China

BACKGROUND

The relation between neighbourhood built environment and obesity has been described as both nuanced and complex.

AIM

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between the built environment, physical activity, and obesity in a rapidly urbanised area of China.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the socio-demographic variables, physical activity levels and BMI status. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between neighbourhood environment, the likelihood of engaging in different types of physical activity, and BMI.

RESULTS

A total of 842 respondents completed the questionnaires and were included (84.1% response rate). Among them, 56.4% reported meeting high physical activity levels, while 40.7% were overweight or obese. Multivariable regression analysis showed that better road conditions (β = 0.122, t = 2.999, p = 0.003) and access to physical activity facilities (β = 0.121, t = 3.193, p = 0.001) were significantly associated with higher levels of physical activity. Physical activity levels were inversely associated with the likelihood of being overweight (OR = 0.565, 95%CI: 0.3 4 9-0.917) or obese (OR = 0.614, 95%CI: 0.3 9 0-0.966).

CONCLUSION

The built environment has an important impact on physical activity. However, the direct impact of leisure physical activity on BMI is not significant. This research provides a summary of recent evidence in Pingshan District on built environments that are most favourable for physical activity and obesity.

Trends in Leisure-Time Physical Activity Among Chinese Adults - China, 2000-2015

What is already known about this topic?

The monitoring report on nutrition and health status of Chinese residents from 2010 to 2013 reported that the participation rate of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) was 13.8% among those 6 years and older.

What is added by this report?

Among 18 years old and older, the age-standardized LTPA prevalence increased from 7.13% in 2000 to 11.79% in 2011 before dropping to 7.33% in 2015.

What are the implications for public health practice?

As levels of LTPA participation are low, further research is necessary to develop and test valid interventions to encourage people to take part in more LTPA especially for residents in rural areas and with low-income.