Perceived neighborhood environments and leisure-time walking among korean adults: an application of the theory of planned behavior

Correlation Between Neighborhood Built Environment and Leisure Walking Time Around a Riverside Park

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate whether the distance to a riverside park and the neighborhood built environment are related to individuals' leisure walking time by examining the case of the Geumho riverside park in Daegu, South Korea.

BACKGROUND

Walking, being an inexpensive means of transportation with numerous health benefits, is influenced by the conditions of neighborhood built environments.

METHODS

A survey was conducted from October 12 to November 8, 2022, including 184 adults aged 18 years or older. The dependent variable was the total weekly minutes of leisure walking, and the independent variables included the neighborhood built environment measured objectively using geographic information systems as well as demographic/individual characteristics and health attitude data. Analysis of variance was conducted to determine whether leisure walking time differed depending on the distance to the riverside park, and regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between leisure walking time and the neighborhood built environment.

RESULTS

Individuals living within a quarter-mile of the park walked an average of 155 min per week for leisure, which was significantly more than those living further than 1 mile (mean = 85.14 min/week). Moreover, greater access to the park, higher crosswalk density, and a lower road density were associated with more leisure walking time for residents.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study indicate that good access to riverside parks and pedestrian-centered neighborhood environments may be related to leisure walking among residents. These findings hold significance for urban planning and the formulation of public health policies.

Understanding of Physical Activity in Social Ecological Perspective: Application of Multilevel Model

In the social ecological model, personal characteristics are important determinants of health behaviors, however, multi-dimensional approaches that consider social and physical environments must be utilized to gain a broader picture. Accordingly, this study examines the effects of personal, social, and physical environment variables as factors affecting levels of physical activity (METs). Our findings are based on 72,916 responses from the 2015 Community Health Survey in South Korea. Individual characteristics considered included sex, education level, marital status, age, and income. The social environment variables considered were trust between neighbors and the social network with neighbors. The physical environment variables were satisfaction with living environment and satisfaction with public transportation. The analysis was conducted using a multilevel model in order to accurately consider the characteristic differences of the variables. Regarding personal characteristics, sex, education level, and age have a significant effect on physical activity. Of the social and physical environment variables, social network with neighbors and satisfaction with public transportation have a significant effect on physical activity. This study confirms that a macroscopic understanding is needed to explain individual levels of physical activity; the results of this study will be helpful for public health interventions concerning physical activity.

The Concept of Aging in Place as Intention

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to frame the aging in place (AIP) concept within an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) model incorporating environmental domains. The proposed model depicts the direct and indirect effects of environmental domains on AIP intention. The environmental domains related to meanings of home embrace personal, built, and interpersonal environments. As partial mediators between the environmental domains and AIP intention, TPB components (attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control toward AIP) were included to the model.

METHODS

The study sample comprised older adults aged 60 and older living in their own homes in the United States. Participants (N = 650) were obtained through an online survey with a nationwide sample. Path analyses were used to test hypothesized relationships within the proposed model.

RESULTS

The results confirmed the significant mediating role of the TPB components between the path from personal, built, and interpersonal environments to AIP intention. Except for one built environmental construct (housing satisfaction), personal and interpersonal environmental constructs were found to indirectly affect AIP intention. One of the interpersonal environmental constructs, social connectedness, was revealed as the strongest factor in this relationship.

IMPLICATIONS

One major implication was drawn from the role of social connectedness and neighborhood satisfaction toward AIP intention. These factors operate beyond an individual level and are closely interrelated. Because social connectedness can be promoted or discouraged by community-level physical or social interventions, the findings of this study confirm the critical role of community-level planning and programs to support healthy aging among older adults.

Direct and Indirect Relationships Between the Built Environment and Individual-Level Perceptions of Physical Activity: A Systematic Review

Background

Socioecological models highlight the potential direct and indirect effects of multiple levels of influence in explaining physical activity (PA). Social cognitive theories, however, position individual cognitions as the mediator of external factors such as the built environment when explaining PA.

Purpose

To appraise the evidence for direct and indirect associations between the built environment and social cognition to predict PA.

Methods

Literature searches were concluded in February 2019 using five common databases. Eligible studies were in the English language that included any direct and indirect tests of individual perceptions and the built environment with PA.

Results

The initial search yielded 18,521 hits, which was reduced to 46 independent studies of primarily medium quality after screening for eligibility criteria. Findings were grouped by type of PA then grouped by the type of individual and built environment constructs within the model, and subdivided by adult and youth samples. There was evidence that self-efficacy/perceived control accounted for the covariance between environmental accessibility/convenience and total PA, while habit accounted for the covariance in this relationship for transport PA, particularly in adult samples. There was no evidence that the built environment had a direct association with PA after controlling for individual-level factors.

Conclusions

The results provide initial support for the mediation tenet in social cognition models for the relationship between individual, built environment, and PA. In practice, these findings highlight the need for coordinated interventions of individual and environmental change.

How Does the Built Environment in Compact Metropolitan Cities Affect Health? A Systematic Review of Korean Studies

This systematic review aimed to examine the associations between health-related outcomes and the built environment (BE) characteristics of compact metropolitan cities in Korea using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework. Searching the three Korean academic databases and PubMed, two independent reviewers identified 27 empirical articles published between 2011 and 2016. Data extracted for review included the study characteristics, the variables and measurement methods related to the BE and health-related outcomes, and the findings on the associations between the BE characteristics and health-related outcomes. Vote counting was used to assess the consistency of associations and the direction of associations between the BE characteristics and health-related outcomes. All of the reviewed studies used cross-sectional designs. The objective BE qualities were commonly examined. The BE characteristics associated with health-related outcomes in the reviewed articles included land use, street environment, transportation infrastructure, green and open spaces, and neighborhood facilities. Street environment, transportation infrastructure, and green and open spaces had consistent positive associations with physical health. Mixed land use and neighborhood facilities, however, had inconsistent associations with physical health. Generally, insufficient findings were reported in the association between the BE characteristics and mental and social health. The accessibility of the BE in a compact urban environment was the prominent attribute related to health promotion, health challenges, and health equity. An international comparative analysis of compact cities with different urban contexts and scale is required. Interdisciplinary urban health strategies are recommended based on the associations between the BE characteristics and health-related outcomes.

Associations between Social and Physical Environments, and Physical Activity in Adults from Urban and Rural Regions

Objectives

This study investigates investigated the relationship between social and physical environments, and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) amongst adults in both rural and urban areas within Korea.

Methods

A sample of 128,735 adults from the 2013 Community Health Survey (CHS) was analyzed using a multilevel logistic analysis.

Results

Urban residents with higher satisfaction in public transportation satisfaction and rural residents with more access to sports parks, hiking trails, and bike cycle paths were more likely to be active. The MVPA of adults from rural areas correlated urban adults was uncorrelatedwith neighborhood factors, but that of rural adults was whereas no correlations were observed in adults from urban areas.

Conclusion

These differences should be considered when developing interventions strategies to enhance adult physical activity in different communities.

Perceived neighborhood environments and leisure-time walking among korean adults: an application of the theory of planned behavior

OBJECTIVE

To examine personal, social, and perceived environmental factors related to leisure-time walking behavior among Korean adults using the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB).

BACKGROUND

Sedentary lifestyle and physical inactivity contribute to rising obesity rates and chronic diseases among Korean adults. Understanding correlates of walking is necessary to develop effective interventions to promote regular walking.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2008 among 424 Korean adults. Participants completed a questionnaire on perceived neighborhood environment, the TPB constructs, and leisure-time walking behavior.

RESULTS

Those who participated in leisure-time walking had more positive perceptions of aesthetics and expressed greater perceived behavioral control (PBC) and intention of walking than nonwalkers. Also, walking correlated with intention and PBC, and perceived crime safety. Intentions were moderately to strongly associated with attitude, PBC, and subjective norm. Integrating TPB constructs and the perceived environment variable (crime safety) resulted in a moderate fit of the data [χ(2)= 2.372, df = 5; p = 0.796; NFI = 0.99; RMSEA = 0.00] with approximately 45.6% variance of intention and 19.4% of the response variance of walking explained. The model showed that perceived safety from crime was not directly related to leisure-time walking, but indirectly predicted walking through the TPB model.

CONCLUSIONS

Perceived safety was identified as an important environmental variable among Korean adults, and the TPB offered a good prediction of walking behavior. Identifying individual, social, and neighborhood environmental correlates of walking can help develop policies to promote public health for a more active and healthier community.