The relationship of physical activity and the built environment within the context of self-determination theory

The relationship between the environment and physical activity-related motivational trajectories

The study explores motivational profiles for physical activity, using self-determination theory's full continuum of motivational regulations, and examines their stability over three months. Furthermore, it investigates whether physical environment and community characteristics are associated with transitioning between profiles, as well as the sociodemographic differences in these motivational transition pathways. Data were collected from 305 U.S. residents at three time points. The three profiles-'low in motivation' (23.5 % of the sample in wave 1), 'self-determined motivation' (41.4 %), and 'ambivalent motivation' (35.0 %)-were relatively stable. Staying in the low-in-motivation profile was negatively associated with being active in social settings, community support, perceived environmental restorativeness, and availability of physical activity opportunities. Having a higher education and income, being male, employed, married or in a partnership, and identifying as White were associated with being in a motivationally positive profile in the last wave of the study. These profiles reported higher activity and life satisfaction.

Motives and Barriers Related to Physical Activity within Different Types of Built Environments: Implications for Health Promotion

Studies have identified individuals’ motives and barriers as main predictors of physical-activity behaviour, while other studies found physical-activity behaviour to be related to characteristics of the built environment. However, studies that have a combined focus on motives and barriers and the built environment are less common. This scoping review aims to provide knowledge about motives and barriers related to physical activity within different types of built environments to mitigate this knowledge gap. A systematic literature search was performed in four scientific databases and yielded 2734 articles, of which 31 articles met the inclusion criteria. The review identified four types of built environments within which motives and barriers were studied, including walkability, cyclist infrastructure, neighbourhood parks and open spaces and sports facilities. Several common motives recur across all four types of built environments, especially easy accessibility and good facility conditions. Conversely, poor accessibility and inadequate facility conditions are common barriers. Our review also showed how some motives and barriers seem to be more context-specific because they were only identified within a few types of built environments. This knowledge may help target future health-promotion initiatives in relation to urban planning and the importance of the environment on physical activity.

What approaches to social prescribing work, for whom, and in what circumstances? A realist review

The use of non-medical referral, community referral or social prescribing interventions has been proposed as a cost-effective alternative to help those with long-term conditions manage their illness and improve health and well-being. However, the evidence base for social prescribing currently lags considerably behind practice. In this paper, we explore what is known about whether different methods of social prescribing referral and supported uptake do (or do not) work. Supported by an Expert Advisory Group, we conducted a realist review in two phases. The first identified evidence specifically relating to social prescribing in order to develop programme theories in the form of 'if-then' statements, articulating how social prescribing models are expected to work. In the second phase, we aimed to clarify these processes and include broader evidence to better explain the proposed mechanisms. The first phase resulted in 109 studies contributing to the synthesis, and the second phase 34. We generated 40 statements relating to organising principles of how the referral takes place (Enrolment), is accepted (Engagement), and completing an activity (Adherence). Six of these statements were prioritised using web-based nominal group technique by our Expert Group. Studies indicate that patients are more likely to enrol if they believe the social prescription will be of benefit, the referral is presented in an acceptable way that matches their needs and expectations, and concerns elicited and addressed appropriately by the referrer. Patients are more likely to engage if the activity is both accessible and transit to the first session supported. Adherence to activity programmes can be impacted through having an activity leader who is skilled and knowledgeable or through changes in the patient's conditions or symptoms. However, the evidence base is not sufficiently developed methodologically for us to make any general inferences about effectiveness of particular models or approaches.

From needs to deeds

Purpose

This paper aims to study a change process on a university campus from a pedagogical perspective. The aim of the process, as expressed by facilities management and faculty leadership, was to create campus learning landscapes that promote social encounters and learning between students and researchers, as well as other embedded groups. The paper addresses how pedagogical needs are or should be integrated in the design process.

Design/methodology/approach

The data of this case study regarding change on campus consist of semi-structured interviews of information-rich key stakeholders identified using snowball sampling method. The interviews were analysed to find common themes and reference to pedagogical needs and expectations.

Findings

Campus usability and reliability are improved when pedagogy informs the design, and needs such as sense of belonging (human) and connectivity (digital) are fulfilled. User-centred design should be followed through during the whole campus change process, and there should be sufficient communications between user groups.

Research limitations/implications

The discussion is based on one case. However, the recommendations are solid and also reflected in other related research literature regarding campus change initiatives.

Practical implications

The paper states recommendations for including pedagogical needs in campus learning landscape change and underlines the role of real user-centred processes in reaching this goal.

Originality/value

The study introduces the concept of campus reliability and highlights a missing link from many campus change cases – pedagogy – which is suggested to be essential in informing campus designs that produce usable and reliable future-ready outcomes.

Understanding Physical Activity through Interactions Between the Built Environment and Social Cognition: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Few people in most developed nations engage in regular physical activity (PA), despite its well-established health benefits. Socioecological models highlight the potential interaction of multiple factors from policy and the built environment to individual social cognition in explaining PA.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this review was to appraise this interaction tenet of the socioecological model between the built environment and social cognition to predict PA.

METHODS

Eligible studies had to have been published in peer-reviewed journals in the English language, and included any tests of interaction between social cognition and the built environment with PA. Literature searches, concluded in October 2017, used five common databases. Findings were grouped by type of PA outcomes (leisure, transportation, total PA and total moderate-vigorous PA [MVPA]), then grouped by the type of interactions between social cognitive and built environment constructs.

RESULTS

The initial search yielded 308 hits, which was reduced to 22 independent studies of primarily high- to medium-quality after screening for eligibility criteria. The interaction tenet of the socioecological model was not supported for overall MVPA and total PA. By contrast, while there was heterogeneity of findings for leisure-time PA, environmental accessibility/convenience interacted with intention, and environmental aesthetics interacted with affective judgments, to predict leisure-time PA. Interactions between the built environment and social cognition in PA for transport are limited, with current results failing to support an effect.

CONCLUSIONS

The results provide some support for interactive aspects of the built environment and social cognition in leisure-time PA, and thus highlight potential areas for integrated intervention of individual and environmental change.

The motivational process for physical activity in young adults with autism spectrum disorder

BACKGROUND

Many young adults, specifically those with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), do not meet the national physical activity (PA) guidelines. One way to address this problem may be to examine the factors that motivate individuals to engage in PA. However, the majority of current literature does not consider the unique characteristics of individuals with ASD, which may influence their motivation.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this research was to examine Self-Determination Theory predictors for PA for young adults with ASD.

METHODS

Respondents included 143 young adults with ASD who completed a survey pertaining to their motivational process to engage in physical activity, based on self-determination theory variables.

RESULTS

Goodness of fit indices reported from a path analysis suggests the current data closely align with the self-determination theory (χ² (3, N = 143) = 11.99, p > .01, GFI = 0.97, NFI = 0.95, CFI = . 96, RMSEA = 0.15). The three basic psychological needs explained 39% of the variance within respondents' self-determined motivation, and self-determined motivation explained 8% of the variance in PA levels.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings support utilizing the self-determination theory within health promotion efforts for young adults with ASD. Practitioners should focus on enhancing the perceived basic psychological needs of young adults within physical activity settings.

The Determinants of Physical Activity in Rural Women, Aged 20 to 44 Years, in Georgia

Physical activity rates in rural women are very low. The purpose of this study was to explore the determinants of physical activity in rural women aged 20 to 44 years. A survey was used to collect data on a cluster sample of 184 participants. This study was guided by Self-Determination Theory. Survey data suggest that the highest type of motivation was identified regulation, and husband's support had the strongest effect on physical activity. Findings suggest that a history of sports participation can lead to the formation of intrinsic motivation. The results will assist in developing effective physical activity interventions.

Objective and subjective measures of neighborhood environment (NE): relationships with transportation physical activity among older persons

Background

This study examined the associations of subjective and objective measures of the neighbourhood environment with the transportation physical activity of community-dwelling older persons in Singapore.

Method

A modified version of the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) measures of the built environment characteristics were related to the frequency of walking for transportation purpose in a study sample of older persons living in high-density apartment blocks within a public housing estate in Singapore. Relevant measured variables to assess the complex relationships among built environment measures and transportation physical activity were examined using structural equation modelling and multiple regression analyses.

Results

The subjective measures of residential density, street connectivity, land use mix diversity and aesthetic environment and the objective GIS measure of Accessibility Index have positively significant independent associations with transportation physical activity, after adjusting for demographics, socio-economic and health status.

Conclusion

Subjective and objective measures are non-overlapping measures complementing each other in providing information on built environment characteristics. For elderly living in a high-density urban neighborhood, well connected street, diversity of land use mix, close proximity to amenities and facilities, and aesthetic environment were associated with higher frequency of walking for transportation purposes.

Gender differences in social support and leisure-time physical activity

OBJECTIVE

To identify gender differences in social support dimensions’ effect on adults’ leisure-time physical activity maintenance, type, and time.

METHODS

Longitudinal study of 1,278 non-faculty public employees at a university in Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Southeastern Brazil. Physical activity was evaluated using a dichotomous question with a two-week reference period, and further questions concerning leisure-time physical activity type (individual or group) and time spent on the activity. Social support was measured with the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Scale. For the analysis, logistic regression models were adjusted separately by gender.

RESULTS

A multinomial logistic regression showed an association between material support and individual activities among women (OR = 2.76; 95%CI 1.2;6.5). Affective support was associated with time spent on leisure-time physical activity only among men (OR = 1.80; 95%CI 1.1;3.2).

CONCLUSIONS

All dimensions of social support that were examined influenced either the type of, or the time spent on, leisure-time physical activity. In some social support dimensions, the associations detected varied by gender. Future studies should attempt to elucidate the mechanisms involved in these gender differences.

The partners for life program: a couples approach to cardiac risk reduction

Morbidity and mortality are reliably lower for the married compared with the unmarried across a variety of illnesses. What is less well understood is how a couple uses their relationship for recommended lifestyle changes associated with decreased risk for illness. Partners for Life compared a patient and partner approach to behavior change with a patient only approach on such factors as exercise, nutrition, and medication adherence. Ninety-three patients and their spouses/partners consented to participate (26% of those eligible) and were randomized into either the individual or couples condition. However, only 80 couples, distributed across conditions, contributed data to the analyses, due to missing data and missing data points. For exercise, there was a significant effect of couples treatment on the increase in activity and a significant effect of couples treatment on the acceleration of treatment over time. In addition, there was an interaction between marital satisfaction and treatment condition such that patients who reported higher levels of marital distress in the individuals condition did not maintain their physical activity gains by the end of treatment, while both distressed and nondistressed patients in the couples treatment exhibited accelerating gains throughout treatment. In terms of medication adherence, patients in the couples treatment exhibited virtually no change in medication adherence over time, while patients in the individuals treatment showed a 9% relative decrease across time. There were no condition or time effects for nutritional outcomes. Finally, there was an interaction between baseline marital satisfaction and treatment condition such that patients in the individuals condition who reported lower levels of initial marital satisfaction showed deterioration in marital satisfaction, while non satisfied patients in the couples treatment showed improvement over time.

What are the Evidence Based Public Health Interventions for Prevention and Control of NCDs in Relation to India?

The accelerating epidemics of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in India call for a comprehensive public health response which can effectively combat and control them before they peak and inflict severe damage in terms of unaffordable health, economic, and social costs. To synthesize and present recent evidences regarding the effectiveness of several types of public health interventions to reduce NCD burden. Interventions influencing behavioral risk factors (like unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco and alcohol consumption) through policy, public education, or a combination of both have been demonstrated to be effective in reducing the NCD risk in populations as well as in individuals. Policy interventions are also effective in reducing the levels of several major biological risk factors linked to NCDs (high blood pressure; overweight and obesity; diabetes and abnormal blood cholesterol). Secondary prevention along the lines of combination pills and ensuring evidenced based clinical care are also critical. Though the evidence for health promotion and primary prevention are weaker, policy interventions and secondary prevention when combined with these are likely to have a greater impact on reducing national NCD burden. A comprehensive and integrated response to NCDs control and prevention needs a "life course approach." Proven cost-effective interventions need to be integrated in a NCD prevention and control policy framework and implemented through coordinated mechanisms of regulation, environment modification, education, and health care responses.