Article

Associations between the built environment and physical activity in public housing residents

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 01/2007;
Source: DOAJ

ABSTRACT Abstract

Background

Environmental factors may influence the particularly low rates of physical activity in African American and low-income adults. This cross-sectional study investigated how measured environmental factors were related to self-reported walking and vigorous physical activity for residents of low-income public housing developments.

Methods

Physical activity data from 452 adult residents residing in 12 low-income housing developments were combined with measured environmental data that examined the neighborhood (800 m radius buffer) around each housing development. Aggregated ecological and multilevel regression models were used for analysis.

Results

Participants were predominately female (72.8%), African American (79.6%) and had a high school education or more (59.0%). Overall, physical activity rates were low, with only 21% of participants meeting moderate physical activity guidelines. Ecological models showed that fewer incivilities and greater street connectivity predicted 83% of the variance in days walked per week, p < 0.001, with both gender and connectivity predicting days walked per week in the multi-level analysis, p < 0.05. Greater connectivity and fewer physical activity resources predicted 90% of the variance in meeting moderate physical activity guidelines, p < 0.001, and gender and connectivity were the multi-level predictors, p < 0.05 and 0.01, respectively. Greater resource accessibility predicted 34% of the variance in days per week of vigorous physical activity in the ecological model, p < 0.05, but the multi-level analysis found no significant predictors.

Conclusion

These results indicate that the physical activity of low-income residents of public housing is related to modifiable aspects of the built environment. Individuals with greater access to more physical activity resources with fewincivilities, as well as, greater street connectivity, are more likely to be physically active.

0 0
 · 
0 Bookmarks
 · 
23 Views
Data provided are for informational purposes only. Although carefully collected, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The impact factor represents a rough estimation of the journal's impact factor and does not reflect the actual current impact factor. Publisher conditions are provided by RoMEO. Differing provisions from the publisher's actual policy or licence agreement may be applicable.

Keywords

12 low-income housing developments
 
452 adult residents residing
 
built environment
 
environmental data
 
environmental factors
 
greater access
 
Greater resource accessibility
 
greater street connectivity
 
low rates
 
low-income public housing developments
 
meeting moderate physical activity guidelines
 
multi-level analysis
 
multilevel regression models
 
participants meeting moderate physical activity guidelines
 
physical activity rates
 
physical activity resources
 
public housing
 
radius buffer
 
school education
 
vigorous physical activity