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Vlahov D, Kurth A. The "15-Minute City" Concept in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Climate Change. J Urban Health 2024:10.1007/s11524-024-00897-1. [PMID: 39026127 DOI: 10.1007/s11524-024-00897-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- David Vlahov
- Yale School of Nursing, 400 West Campus Drive, Orange, CT, 06477, USA.
| | - Ann Kurth
- New York Academy of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Fagan MJ, Vanderloo LM, Banerjee A, Ferguson LJ, Lee EY, O'Reilly N, Rhodes RE, Spence JC, Tremblay MS, Faulkner G. Re-assessing the social climate of physical (in)activity in Canada. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:2548. [PMID: 38124062 PMCID: PMC10734048 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17436-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Social-ecological models suggest that a strategy for increasing population physical activity participation is to reconstruct the "social climate" through changing social norms and beliefs about physical activity (PA). In this study, we assessed whether the PA social climate in Canada has changed over a five-year period after controlling for sociodemographic factors and PA levels. Replicating a survey administered in 2018, a sample of adults in Canada (n = 2,507) completed an online survey assessing social climate dimensions, including but not limited to descriptive and injunctive norms. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and binary logistic regressions were conducted to assess the associations of sociodemographic factors and year of the survey with social climate dimensions. Results suggest some social climate constructs are trending in a positive direction between 2018 and 2023. Physical inactivity was considered a serious public health concern by 49% of respondents, second to unhealthy diets (52%). Compared to those who participated in the 2018 survey, participants in 2023 were less likely to see others walking or wheeling in their neighbourhood (OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.41, 1.78), but more likely to see people exercising (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.73, 0.92) and kids playing in their neighbourhood (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.66, 0.85). No changes were reported between 2018 and 2023 in individuals' perceptions of whether physical inactivity is due to individual versus external factors (OR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.87, 1.13). The findings of this work indicate a modest positive shift in some measured components of the social climate surrounding PA although attributing causes for these changes remain speculative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew James Fagan
- School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Leigh M Vanderloo
- , ParticipACTION, 77 Bloor Street West, Suite 1205, Toronto, ON, Canada
- School of Occupational Therapy, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Ananya Banerjee
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Leah J Ferguson
- College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, 87 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Eun-Young Lee
- School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Norman O'Reilly
- Graduate School of Business, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
| | - Ryan E Rhodes
- Behavioural Medicine Laboratory, School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - John C Spence
- Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, University of Alberta, 1-153 Van Vliet Complex, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Mark S Tremblay
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Guy Faulkner
- School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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Zhong S, Lee C, Bian J, Towne SD, Lee H, Song Y, Li W, Ory MG. Environmental and Mobility Strategies During Early COVID-19: Insights From an Empirical Study Focusing on Park Visitations in El Paso, TX. HERD-HEALTH ENVIRONMENTS RESEARCH & DESIGN JOURNAL 2023; 16:61-82. [PMID: 37138470 DOI: 10.1177/19375867231166080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We explored the importance of environmental and mobility strategies during early COVID-19 by age and ethnicity and investigated predictors of park visitations considering the COVID-19 impacts. BACKGROUND Parks are safe and accessible venues to stay active and reduce social isolation, which is especially important considering COVID-19 and the associated lockdowns. METHODS We analyzed online survey data from 683 residents (collected July 2020) of El Paso, TX, and objective measures of neighborhood park characteristics. Chi-square tests and mixed-effects logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the environmental/mobility strategies, personal and environmental factors, and park visitations, considering the COVID-19 impacts. RESULTS The percentage of those who visited (1+ times/week) parks or trails/paths in the neighborhood dropped from 41.7% to 19.5% since the start of COVID-19 (OR = 0.015, p < .001). Before COVID-19, middle-aged and older adults were less likely to visit parks than younger adults, while this difference became insignificant during early COVID-19. Hispanic adults were more likely to visit parks than non-Hispanics both before and during early COVID-19. Positive environmental predictors of park visitations included park availability in the neighborhood, proximity to the closest park, seeing people being physically active in the neighborhood, and neighborhood aesthetics. CONCLUSIONS Proximately located parks, trails, and paths well integrated into residential communities, and high aesthetic quality of the neighborhood are the potential features of pandemic-resilient communities and should be considered an important national priority to maintain and promote the health and well-being of the population, especially during pandemics like COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinan Zhong
- Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, School of Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Chanam Lee
- Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, School of Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Jiahe Bian
- Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, School of Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Samuel D Towne
- School of Global Health Management and Informatics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
- Disability, Aging, and Technology Cluster, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Hanwool Lee
- Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, School of Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Yang Song
- Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, School of Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, School of Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Marcia G Ory
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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Mussone L, Changizi F. A study on the factors that influenced the choice of transport mode before, during, and after the first lockdown in Milan, Italy. CITIES (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2023; 136:104251. [PMID: 36911882 PMCID: PMC9987251 DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2023.104251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 measures implied many changes to travel behaviour and transport mode choice during the pandemic. This study seeks to understand what individual characteristics and travel attributes are related to transport mode choice before, during, and after the first lockdown in Italy. Based on an online survey (carried out in May 2020 in Milan), three multinomial regression models are presented. The results show that and in which measure parameters regarding distance and duration of daily travel are markedly related to transport mode before the lockdown. However, these factors are less significantly associated with the transport mode during and after the lockdown. Meanwhile, factors such as Preferences and Worry about using public transport have more significant relationship with the modal choice during the pandemic. Regarding individual characteristics, women are more likely to use active mode during and after the lockdown. Additionally, two personality traits of Agreeableness, and Openness to experiences are related to transport mode during and after the lockdown, respectively. Overall, this study reveals that in addition to socio-demographic factors, other variables such as worry about using public transport, preference, and personality are associated with the choice of transport mode during the lockdown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Mussone
- Politecnico di Milano, Department of Architecture, Building Environment and Civil Constructions, Piazza L. da Vinci 32, Milano, Italy
| | - Farzaneh Changizi
- Politecnico di Milano, Department of Architecture, Building Environment and Civil Constructions, Piazza L. da Vinci 32, Milano, Italy
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Usman M, Yuyan L, Husnain M, Akhtar MW. COVID-19, travel restrictions and environmental consequences. ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY 2023:1-21. [PMID: 37363034 PMCID: PMC10024297 DOI: 10.1007/s10668-023-03146-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The component of human life that has been most significantly altered by the COVID-19 epidemic is travel. Due to the upheaval produced by the pandemic breakout, countries are becoming increasingly avaricious and are scrambling to stockpile vaccines. The world has been locked down to reduce/control the pandemic outbreak, driving countries to shut their doors to other people from countries. The recent pandemic has had a short-term, positive effect on the environment, but travel restrictions have caused problems for the common person and are expected to deteriorate more soon, necessitating longer quarantines, vaccination requirements, vaccine passports, and immunization certificates required by countries for safe travel. Thus, this study has three objectives. First, we investigate the impact of COVID-19 on travel and the environment, as well as the role that tourists play in the transmission of the virus. Second, we examine how countries are handling COVID-19 vaccines. Finally, we pinpoint differences in vaccination coverage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Usman
- UE Business School, Division of Management and Administrative Sciences, University of Education Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Li Yuyan
- Zhengzhou Shengda University, Zhengzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mudassir Husnain
- UE Business School, Division of Management and Administrative Sciences, University of Education Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
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Galiwango R, Bainomugisha E, Kivunike F, Kateete DP, Jjingo D. Air pollution and mobility patterns in two Ugandan cities during COVID-19 mobility restrictions suggest the validity of air quality data as a measure for human mobility. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:34856-34871. [PMID: 36520281 PMCID: PMC9751517 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24605-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
We explored the viability of using air quality as an alternative to aggregated location data from mobile phones in the two most populated cities in Uganda. We accessed air quality and Google mobility data collected from 15th February 2020 to 10th June 2021 and augmented them with mobility restrictions implemented during the COVID-19 lockdown. We determined whether air quality data depicted similar patterns to mobility data before, during, and after the lockdown and determined associations between air quality and mobility by computing Pearson correlation coefficients ([Formula: see text]), conducting multivariable regression with associated confidence intervals (CIs), and visualized the relationships using scatter plots. Residential mobility increased with the stringency of restrictions while both non-residential mobility and air pollution decreased with the stringency of restrictions. In Kampala, PM2.5 was positively correlated with non-residential mobility and negatively correlated with residential mobility. Only correlations between PM2.5 and movement in work and residential places were statistically significant in Wakiso. After controlling for stringency in restrictions, air quality in Kampala was independently correlated with movement in retail and recreation (- 0.55; 95% CI = - 1.01- - 0.10), parks (0.29; 95% CI = 0.03-0.54), transit stations (0.29; 95% CI = 0.16-0.42), work (- 0.25; 95% CI = - 0.43- - 0.08), and residential places (- 1.02; 95% CI = - 1.4- - 0.64). For Wakiso, only the correlation between air quality and residential mobility was statistically significant (- 0.99; 95% CI = - 1.34- - 0.65). These findings suggest that air quality is linked to mobility and thus could be used by public health programs in monitoring movement patterns and the spread of infectious diseases without compromising on individuals' privacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Galiwango
- The African Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Data Intensive Sciences, The Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
- Center for Computational Biology, Uganda Christian University, Mukono, Uganda.
| | - Engineer Bainomugisha
- Department of Computer Science, College of Computing and Information Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Florence Kivunike
- Department of Computer Science, College of Computing and Information Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - David Patrick Kateete
- Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Daudi Jjingo
- The African Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Data Intensive Sciences, The Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Department of Computer Science, College of Computing and Information Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
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