Playing away from home - are residential neighbourhoods actually used as venues for physical activity?
Professor Andrew Jones (CEDAR)
14.45, Wednesday 10 July. Millennium Lounge, level 5
Background
The choice of geographical unit of analysis in studies of the built environment and physical activity has typically been restricted to the home neighbourhood where only a small proportion of physical activity may actually be undertaken. This study aimed to characterise the locations and land-uses where physical activity actually takes place.
Methods
A cross-sectional, population-based study of 195 people in the North West region of England, aged 18 to 91 years, clustered in 40 localities (small geographical areas of ~125 households). Physical activity was characterized by a combination of computer-aided personal interview, accelerometer data and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). The location of periods of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) was linked to land-use, neighbourhood around the home, and distance from home.
Results
60% of MVPA took place outside of the proximal home neighbourhood and in a wide range of locations. Distances from home where median levels of MVPA were undertaken varied by home neighbourhood type, area deprivation, gender, age group and car access (p<0.001), as did the land uses where physical activity was located (p<0.01).
Conclusions
Objectively measured physical activity appears to vary appreciably by setting, although for many settings a large proportion is undertaken outside of the home neighbourhood, suggesting the characterisation of neighbourhoods close to home will fail to capture the totality of environmental influences on physical activity.
The choice of geographical unit of analysis in studies of the built environment and physical activity has typically been restricted to the home neighbourhood where only a small proportion of physical activity may actually be undertaken. This study aimed to characterise the locations and land-uses where physical activity actually takes place.
Methods
A cross-sectional, population-based study of 195 people in the North West region of England, aged 18 to 91 years, clustered in 40 localities (small geographical areas of ~125 households). Physical activity was characterized by a combination of computer-aided personal interview, accelerometer data and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). The location of periods of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) was linked to land-use, neighbourhood around the home, and distance from home.
Results
60% of MVPA took place outside of the proximal home neighbourhood and in a wide range of locations. Distances from home where median levels of MVPA were undertaken varied by home neighbourhood type, area deprivation, gender, age group and car access (p<0.001), as did the land uses where physical activity was located (p<0.01).
Conclusions
Objectively measured physical activity appears to vary appreciably by setting, although for many settings a large proportion is undertaken outside of the home neighbourhood, suggesting the characterisation of neighbourhoods close to home will fail to capture the totality of environmental influences on physical activity.