scholarly journals A Direct Assessment of “Obesogenic”Built Environments: Challenges and Recommendations

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danijela Gasevic ◽  
Ina Vukmirovich ◽  
Salim Yusuf ◽  
Koon Teo ◽  
Clara Chow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Global Positioning System ◽  
Built Environments ◽  
Positioning System ◽  
Environmental Audit ◽  
Audit Tool ◽  
Paper Version ◽  
Environmental Features ◽  
Direct Assessment ◽  
Global Positioning

This paper outlines the challenges faced during direct built environment (BE) assessments of 42 Canadian communities of various income and urbanization levels. In addition, we recommend options for overcoming such challenges during BE community assessments. Direct BE assessments were performed utilizing two distinct audit methods: (1) modified version of Irvine-Minnesota Inventory in which a paper version of an audit tool was used to assess BE features and (2) a Physical Activity and Nutrition Features audit tool, where the presence and positions of all environmental features of interest were recorded using a Global-Positioning-System (GPS) unit. This paper responds to the call for the need of creators and users of environmental audit tools to share experiences regarding the usability of tools for BE assessments. The outlined BE assessment challenges plus recommendations for overcoming them can help improve and refine the existing audit tools and aid researchers in future assessments of the BE.

scholarly journals Associations between time spent in green areas and physical activity among late middle-aged adults

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bart Dewulf ◽  
Tijs Neutens ◽  
Delfien Van Dyck ◽  
Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij ◽  
Steven Broekx ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Global Positioning System ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Positioning System ◽  
Accelerometer Data ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Global Positioning ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

Physical activity is an important facilitator for health and wellbeing, especially for late middle-aged adults, who are more susceptible to cardiovascular diseases. Physical activity performed in green areas is supposed to be particularly beneficial, so we studied whether late middle- aged adults are more active in green areas than in non-green areas and how this is influenced by individual characteristics and the level of neighbourhood greenness. We tracked 180 late middle-aged (58 to 65 years) adults using global positioning system and accelerometer data to know whether and where they were sedentary or active. These data were combined with information on land use to obtain information on the greenness of sedentary and active hotspots. We found that late middle-aged adults are more physically active when spending more time in green areas than in non-green areas. Spending more time at home and in non-green areas was found to be associated with more sedentary behaviour. Time spent in non-green areas was found to be related to more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for males and to less MVPA for females. The positive association between time spent in green areas and MVPA was the strongest for highly educated people and for those living in a green neighbourhood. This study shows that the combined use of global positioning system and accelerometer data facilitates understanding of where people are sedentary or physically active, which can help policy makers encourage activity in this age cohort.

scholarly journals Concurrent Measurement of Global Positioning System and Event-Based Physical Activity Data: A Methodological Framework for Integration

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Anna M.J. Iveson ◽  
Malcolm H. Granat ◽  
Brian M. Ellis ◽  
Philippa M. Dall
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Global Positioning System ◽  
Gps Data ◽  
Positioning System ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Physical Activity Data ◽  
Global Positioning ◽  
Event Based

Objective: Global positioning system (GPS) data can add context to physical activity data and have previously been integrated with epoch-based physical activity data. The current study aimed to develop a framework for integrating GPS data and event-based physical activity data (suitable for assessing patterns of behavior). Methods: A convenience data set of concurrent GPS (AMOD) and physical activity (activPAL) data were collected from 69 adults. The GPS data were (semi)regularly sampled every 5 s. The physical activity data output was presented as walking events, which are continuous periods of walking with a time-stamped start time and duration (to nearest 0.1 s). The GPS outcome measures and the potential correspondence of their timing with walking events were identified and a framework was developed describing data integration for each combination of GPS outcome and walking event correspondence. Results: The GPS outcome measures were categorized as those deriving from a single GPS point (e.g., location) or from the difference between successive GPS points (e.g., distance), and could be categorical, scale, or rate outcomes. Walking events were categorized as having zero (13% of walking events, 3% of walking duration), or one or more (52% of walking events, 75% of walking duration) GPS points occurring during the event. Additionally, some walking events did not have GPS points suitably close to allow calculation of outcome measures (31% of walking events, 22% of walking duration). The framework required different integration approaches for each GPS outcome type, and walking events containing zero or more than one GPS points.

scholarly journals Global Positioning System Derived Performance Measures Are Responsive Indicators of Physical Activity, Disease and the Success of Clinical Treatments in Domestic Dogs

PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e0117094 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Bruno ◽  
James W. Guthrie ◽  
Stephen A. Ellwood ◽  
Richard J. Mellanby ◽  
Dylan N. Clements
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Performance Measures ◽  
Global Positioning System ◽  
Domestic Dogs ◽  
Positioning System ◽  
Global Positioning

scholarly journals Indoor and Outdoor Context-Specific Contributions to Early Adolescent Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity as Measured by Combined Diary, Accelerometer, and GPS

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Pearce ◽  
David H. Saunders ◽  
Peter Allison ◽  
Anthony P. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Global Positioning System ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Early Adolescent ◽  
Positioning System ◽  
Global Positioning ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Outdoor Location ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

Background: The distribution of adolescent moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) across multiple contexts is unclear. This study examined indoor and outdoor leisure time in terms of being structured or unstructured and explored relationships with total daily MVPA. Methods: Between September 2012 and January 2014, 70 participants (aged 11–13 y) from 4 schools in Edinburgh wore an accelerometer and global positioning system receiver over 7 days, reporting structured physical activity using a diary. Time spent and MVPA were summarized according to indoor/outdoor location and whether activity was structured/unstructured. Independent associations between context-specific time spent and total daily MVPA were examined using a multivariate linear regression model. Results: Very little time or MVPA was recorded in structured contexts. Unstructured outdoor leisure time was associated with an increase in total daily MVPA almost twice that of unstructured indoor leisure time [b value (95% confidence interval), 8.45 (1.71 to 14.48) vs 4.38 (0.20 to 8.22) minute increase per hour spent]. The association was stronger for time spent in structured outdoor leisure time [35.81 (20.60 to 52.27)]. Conclusions: Research and interventions should focus on strategies to facilitate time outdoors during unstructured leisure time and maximize MVPA once youth are outdoors. Increasing the proportion of youth engaging in structured activity may be beneficial given that, although time spent was limited, association with MVPA was strongest.

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