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Arifwidodo SD, Chandrasiri O. Neighbourhood Walkability and Physical Activity during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2024; 21:387. [PMID: 38673300 PMCID: PMC11050372 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21040387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated whether living in a walkable neighbourhood could mitigate the adverse effects of the lockdown and closure of public open spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity among adults in Bangkok, Thailand. We conducted a telephone survey with 579 respondents and collected information on their physical activity, access to green open spaces, neighbourhood walkability, and socioeconomic characteristics during the pandemic. Our study indicates that living in a walkable neighbourhood is associated with a higher likelihood of engaging in sufficient physical activity during the pandemic. Furthermore, we confirm the influence of socioeconomic factors and health behaviours on physical activity levels, aligning with previous research. Notably, our study highlights the significant association between access to green open spaces during lockdown and increased physical activity. These results underscore the importance of promoting walkable neighbourhoods and ensuring accessible green spaces to enhance physical activity and improve health outcomes during and beyond the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sigit D. Arifwidodo
- Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Kasetsart University, Chatuchak 10900, Thailand
| | - Orana Chandrasiri
- Activethai.org Research Center, Faculty of Architecture, Kasetsart University Chatuchak 10900, Thailand;
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Rundle AG, Kinsey EW, Widen EM, Quinn JW, Huynh M, Lovasi GS, Neckerman KM, Van Wye G. Neighbourhood walkability is associated with risk of gestational diabetes: A cross-sectional study in New York City. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 2023; 37:212-217. [PMID: 36633306 PMCID: PMC10404343 DOI: 10.1111/ppe.12952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the links between neighbourhood walkability and physical activity, body size and risk of diabetes, there are few studies of neighbourhood walkability and risk of gestational diabetes (GD). OBJECTIVES Assess whether higher neighbourhood walkability is associated with lower risk of GD in New York City (NYC). METHODS Cross-sectional analyses of a neighbourhood walkability index (NWI) score and density of walkable destinations (DWD) and risk of GD in 109,863 births recorded in NYC in 2015. NWI and DWD were measured for the land area of 1 km radius circles around the geographic centroid of each Census block of residence. Mixed generalised linear models, with robust standard error estimation and random intercepts for NYC Community Districts, were used to estimate risk ratios for GD for increasing quartiles of each of the neighbourhood walkability measures after adjustment for the pregnant individual's age, race and ethnicity, parity, education, nativity, and marital status and the neighbourhood poverty rate. RESULTS Overall, 7.5% of pregnant individuals experienced GD. Risk of GD decreased across increasing quartiles of NWI, with an adjusted risk ratio of 0.81 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.75, 0.87) comparing those living in areas in the 4th quartile of NWI to those in the first quartile. Similarly, for comparisons of the 4th to 1st quartile of DWD, the adjusted risk ratio for GD was 0.77 (95% CI 0.71, 0.84). CONCLUSIONS These analyses find support for the hypothesis that higher neighbourhood walkability is associated with a lower risk of GD. The analyses provide further health related support for urban design policies to increase walkability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G Rundle
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Eliza W Kinsey
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Widen
- College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - James W Quinn
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mary Huynh
- School of Health Sciences, Human Services, & Nursing, Lehman College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gina S Lovasi
- Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kathryn M Neckerman
- Columbia Population Research Center, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gretchen Van Wye
- Bureau of Vital Statistics, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York, USA
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Koh G, Sekine M, Yamada M, Fujimura Y, Tatsuse T. Neighbourhood walkability and obesity among adults in rural Japan: results from a Japanese health database. J Public Health (Oxf) 2022; 44:e467-e474. [PMID: 34387690 DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdab319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Walkable neighbourhoods promote physical activity and prevent obesity, but there is limited evidence to inform urban planning strategies for public health within the context of rural Japan. This study describes associations between neighbourhood walkability and obesity in Toyama, a regional municipality in Japan. METHODS A cross-sectional analysis of the Toyama Prefecture National Health Insurance data (n = 3454) in 2016 using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and binary logistic regression. Walk Score® was used to estimate neighbourhood walkability. RESULTS Residents from highly walkable neighbourhoods generally had lower mean body mass index (BMI), but significant associations between neighbourhood walkability and BMI and prevalence of obesity were only observed in women (adjusted OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.26-0.80). Men below 65 years old had higher obesity prevalence (adjusted OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.34-2.30). Daily alcohol consumption was associated with lower odds of being obese among men (adjusted OR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.55-0.95). Hypertension, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidaemia were associated with higher obesity prevalence among residents, regardless of gender. CONCLUSIONS Walkable environment may improve health outcomes for rural communities in Japan. Further studies are required to create equitable and inclusive living spaces for men and women to access healthier lifestyle choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Koh
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Michikazu Sekine
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.,Organization for Promotion of Regional Collaboration, Community Medicine and Health Support Division, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Masaaki Yamada
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.,Organization for Promotion of Regional Collaboration, Community Medicine and Health Support Division, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Yuko Fujimura
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.,Organization for Promotion of Regional Collaboration, Community Medicine and Health Support Division, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Takashi Tatsuse
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
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Asiamah N, Opuni FF, Muhonja F, Danquah E, Agyemang SM, Agyemang I, Omisore A, Mensah HK, Hatsu S, Baffoe RS, Eku E, Manu CA. The relationship between job components, neighbourhood walkability and African academics' physical activity: a post-COVID-19 context. Health Promot Int 2021; 37:6323905. [PMID: 34279619 PMCID: PMC8411380 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daab090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Research to date suggests that physical activity (PA) among academics is insufficient globally. Academics in many African countries were recently required to resume work while observing social distancing protocols. Physical inactivity (PI) was, therefore, expected to increase in such academics. Interestingly, walkable neighbourhoods are resources that could discourage excessive sitting and PI in this situation. This study, therefore, assessed the moderating role of neighbourhood walkability in the relationship between core job components (i.e. on-site teaching, online teaching, research and student assessment) and PA among academics. The study adopted a cross-sectional design that utilized an online survey hosted by Google Forms to gather data. Participants were volunteer full-time academics in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania. A total of 1064 surveys were analysed, with a sensitivity analysis utilized to select covariates for the ultimate hierarchical linear regression model. After controlling for the ultimate covariates (e.g. gender, education and income), PA was found to be positively associated with the job component 'research work' but negatively associated with student assessment. Neighbourhood walkability increased the positive relationship of research work with PA and reduced the negative relationship of student assessment with PA. The non-significant negative relationship between 'teaching online' and PA was made positively significant by neighbourhood walkability. We conclude that research as a job component is positively associated with PA, but online teaching is negatively associated with PA among African academics in a post-COVID-19 context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nestor Asiamah
- University of Portsmouth, School of Health and Care Professions, Winston Churchill Ave, Portsmouth PO1 2UP, UK.,Africa Centre for Epidemiology, Accra Ghana, P. O. Box AN 16284, Accra North, Ghana
| | | | - Faith Muhonja
- School of Public Health, Mount Kenya University, Kenya
| | - Emelia Danquah
- Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Koforidua Technical University, Koforidua, Ghana
| | - Simon Mawulorm Agyemang
- Department of Physical Education and Health, Abetifi Presbyterian College of Education, Ghana
| | - Irene Agyemang
- Student Affairs, West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists, Accra, Ghana
| | - Akinlolu Omisore
- Department of Community Medicine, Osun State University, Nigeria
| | - Henry Kofi Mensah
- Human Resources and Organizational Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Sylvester Hatsu
- Department of Computer Science, Accra Technical University, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Eric Eku
- Department of Behavioural Epidemiology, University of Education, Winneba, Institute for Distance Education and E-learning, Winneba, Ghana
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Asiamah N, Conduah AK, Eduafo R. Social network moderators of the association between Ghanaian older adults' neighbourhood walkability and social activity. Health Promot Int 2021; 36:1357-1367. [PMID: 33517412 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daaa156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examined the moderating influences of active social networks (ASN), sedentary social networks (SSN) and ASN lost on the relationship between neighbourhood walkability and social activity in community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years or more in Accra, Ghana. A total of 863 individuals participated after G*Power 3.1 was utilized to calculate the minimum sample size. We analysed the data with Pearson's correlation test and hierarchical linear regression models. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to select the ultimate confounding variables. The study found a positive influence of neighbourhood walkability on social activity after the covariate adjustment (β = 0.18; t = 5.2; p = 0.000). The positive influence of neighbourhood walkability on social activity was significantly reduced by ASN lost and SSN. ASN did not have a significant moderating influence on the primary relationship. The study concludes that the positive influence of walkable neighbourhoods on social activity decreases as SSN and ASN lost increase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nestor Asiamah
- School of Health and Care Professions, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Andrew Kweku Conduah
- Institute of Work, Employment & Society (IWES), University of Professional Studies, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Richard Eduafo
- Africa Centre for Epidemiology, Gerontology and Geriatric Care, Accra, Ghana
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Zeng F, Shen Z. Study on the Impact of Historic District Built Environment and Its Influence on Residents' Walking Trips: A Case Study of Zhangzhou Ancient City's Historic District. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17:E4367. [PMID: 32570755 PMCID: PMC7345548 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17124367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Walking maintains an indisputable advantage as a simple transport mode over short distances. Various situations have shown that when staying in a walk-friendly built environment, people are more likely to walk and interact with their surroundings. Scholars have reported some evidence of the influence of neighbourhood environments on personal walking trips. Most existing studies of the correlation between the built environment and walking, however, have been conducted in the West and are cross-sectional, which leaves a gap in addressing the causality between built environments and walking under the intervention of regeneration measures. This study takes a historic district of a mid-sized city in China as the research area and reports the changes in the traditional residential district's built environment caused by the implementation of urban regeneration. In this paper, we use physical and perceptual indicators to measure the walkability of the built environment. We identify the changed content of the built environment's walkability and the change of residents' walking behaviour through longitudinal and quasi-longitudinal methods. The conclusion shows that the implementation of a regeneration project of the historic district has greatly changed perceived walkability, which has significantly promoted residents' recreational walking trips, especially among the population of middle-aged and elderly people in the district. The conclusion that the built environment's change promotes recreational walking is contrary to the research performed in sprawling Western contexts such as in the US, and it provides a meaningful supplement for research on the topic in an Asian context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zhenjiang Shen
- International Joint SPSD Lab of Fuzhou University and Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan; or
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Loo CKJ, Greiver M, Aliarzadeh B, Lewis D. Association between neighbourhood walkability and metabolic risk factors influenced by physical activity: a cross-sectional study of adults in Toronto, Canada. BMJ Open 2017; 7:e013889. [PMID: 28391234 PMCID: PMC5775455 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-013889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Revised: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether neighbourhood walkability is associated with clinical measures of obesity, hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia in an urban adult population. DESIGN Observational cross-sectional study. SETTING Urban primary care patients. PARTICIPANTS 78 023 Toronto residents, aged 18 years and over, who were formally rostered or had at least 2 visits between 2012 and 2014 with a primary care physician participating in the University of Toronto Practice Based Research Network (UTOPIAN), within the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network (CPCSSN). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Differences in average body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, haemoglobin A1c (HbA1C), total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein and triglyceride between residents in the highest versus the lowest quartile of neighbourhood walkability, as estimated using multivariable linear regression models and stratified by age. Outcomes were objectively measured and were retrieved from primary care electronic medical records. Models adjusted for age, sex, smoking, medications, medical comorbidities and indices of neighbourhood safety and marginalisation. RESULTS Compared with those in the lowest walkability quartile, individuals in the highest quartile had lower mean BMI (-2.64 kg/m2, 95% CI -2.98 to -2.30; p<0.001), systolic blood pressure (-1.35 mm Hg, 95% CI -2.01 to -0.70; p<0.001), diastolic blood pressure (-0.60 mm Hg, 95% CI 1.06 to -0.14; p=0.010) and HbA1c (-0.063%, 95% CI -0.11 to -0.021; p=0.003) and higher mean HDL (0.052 mmol/L, 95% CI 0.029 to 0.075; p<0.001). In age-stratified analyses, differences in the mean BMI were consistently observed for adults aged 18 to under 40 (-4.44 kg/m2, 95% CI -5.09 to -3.79; p<0.001), adults aged 40-65 (-2.74 kg/m2, 95% CI -3.24 to -2.23; p<0.001) and adults aged over 65 (-0.87 kg/m2, 95% CI -1.48 to -0.26; p=0.005). CONCLUSIONS There was a clinically meaningful association between living in the most walkable neighbourhoods and having lower BMI in adults of all ages.
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Affiliation(s)
- C K Jennifer Loo
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michelle Greiver
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- North York General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Babak Aliarzadeh
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- North York General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel Lewis
- Department of Social and Environmental Health Research, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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