Workplace neighbourhood built environment and workers’ physically-active and sedentary behaviour: a systematic review of observational studies

Abstract Background Many desk-based workers can spend more than half of their working hours sitting, with low levels of physical activity. Workplace neighbourhood built environment may influence workers’ physical activities and sedentary behaviours on workdays. We reviewed and synthesised evidence from observational studies on associations of workplace neighbourhood attributes with domain-specific physical activity and sedentary behaviour and suggested research priorities for improving the quality of future relevant studies. Methods Published studies were obtained from nine databases (PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Scopus, Transport Research International Documentation, MEDLINE, Cochrane, Embase, and CINAHL) and crosschecked by Google Scholar. Observational studies with quantitative analyses estimating associations between workplace neighbourhood built environment attributes and workers’ physical activity or sedentary behaviour were included. Studies were restricted to those published in English language peer-reviewed journals from 2000 to 2019. Results A total of 55 studies and 455 instances of estimated associations were included. Most instances of potential associations of workplace neighbourhood built environment attributes with total or domain-specific (occupational, transport, and recreational) physical activity were non-significant. However, destination-related attributes (i.e., longer distances from workplace to home and access to car parking) were positively associated with transport-related sedentary behaviour (i.e., car driving). Conclusions The findings reinforce the case for urban design policies on designing mixed-use neighbourhoods where there are opportunities to live closer to workplaces and have access to a higher density of shops, services, and recreational facilities. Studies strengthening correspondence between the neighbourhood built environment attributes and behaviours are needed to identify and clarify potential relationships. Protocol registration The protocol of this systematic review was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) on 2 December 2019 (registration number: CRD42019137341).

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Impact of physical activity and sedentary behaviour on fall risks in older people: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

European Review of Aging and Physical Activity ◽

10.1007/s11556-011-0081-1 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 5-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

Marie Thibaud ◽

Frédéric Bloch ◽

Caroline Tournoux-Facon ◽

Cyril Brèque ◽

Anne Sophie Rigaud ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Older People ◽

Sedentary Behaviour ◽

Observational Studies ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Fall Risks

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Domain-specific physical activity and sedentary behaviour in relation to colon and rectal cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis

International Journal of Epidemiology ◽

10.1093/ije/dyx137 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 46 (6) ◽

pp. 1797-1813 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Shahid Mahmood ◽

Robert J MacInnis ◽

Dallas R English ◽

Amalia Karahalios ◽

Brigid M Lynch

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Rectal Cancer ◽

Cancer Risk ◽

Sedentary Behaviour ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Domain Specific ◽

Colon And Rectal Cancer

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Effectiveness of mHealth Interventions on Physical Activity and Physical Fitness in Outpatient and Home-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs: A Systematic Review (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.13972 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Sheeba Nadarajah ◽

Susan Buchholz ◽

Kristen Dickins

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Physical Fitness ◽

Cardiac Rehabilitation ◽

Text Messaging ◽

English Language ◽

Rehabilitation Program ◽

Cardiac Rehabilitation Program ◽

Mixed Effect ◽

Home Based

BACKGROUND Globally, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death. Cardiovascular mortality can be decreased by participation in cardiac rehabilitation. Researchers are exploring the use of mHealth technology in cardiac rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE The aim of this systematic review is to examine the effectiveness of randomized controlled trials that use a mHealth intervention as a part of an outpatient and/or home-based cardiac rehabilitation program on improving physical activity and physical fitness outcomes. METHODS For this systematic review, mHealth interventions were limited to text messaging, mobile apps, and use of a mobile phone network for data transmission, used to deliver cardiac rehabilitation program. Using six databases, the search strategy included published English language studies through 2016. Data was extracted independently by two reviewers, and then synthesized. RESULTS The initial search yielded 149 articles, of which 15 articles that represented nine studies met inclusion criteria. Articles were published from 2010 to 2016 and came from two continents. The majority (84%) of participants were male. Generally, the participant mean age was late 50s to early 60s. Text messaging was the most frequently used intervention. The results of the physical activity and physical fitness findings were mixed. Effect sizes for intervention as measured by the 6-minute walk test ranged from 0.46 to 0.58 and peak VO2 ranged from 0.03 to 1.35. CONCLUSIONS Globally, use of mHealth in outpatient and/or home-based cardiac rehabilitation is being studied with greater attention. However, these studies are limited by geography, gender, and age. Therefore, further research in the area of cardiac rehabilitation and mHealth is recommended, especially in developing countries, among women, and older adults.

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Relationships of physical activity and sedentary behaviour with the previous and subsequent nights’ sleep in children and youth: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Journal of Sleep Research ◽

10.1111/jsr.13378 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Wendy Yajun Huang ◽

Robin Sze‐Tak Ho ◽

Mark S. Tremblay ◽

Stephen Heung‐Sang Wong

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Sedentary Behaviour ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Children And Youth

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Customary physical activity and odds of depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 111 prospective cohort studies

British Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1136/bjsports-2020-103140 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. bjsports-2020-103140

Author(s):

Rodney K Dishman ◽

Cillian P McDowell ◽

Matthew Payton Herring

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Cohort Studies ◽

Prospective Cohort ◽

Observational Studies ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Prospective Cohort Studies ◽

Over Time

ObjectiveTo explore whether physical activity is inversely associated with the onset of depression, we quantified the cumulative association of customary physical activity with incident depression and with an increase in subclinical depressive symptoms over time as reported from prospective observational studies.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesMEDLINE, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES and CINAHL Complete databases, supplemented by Google Scholar.Eligibility criteriaProspective cohort studies in adults, published prior to January 2020, reporting associations between physical activity and depression.Study appraisal and synthesisMultilevel random-effects meta-analysis was performed adjusting for study and cohort or region. Mixed-model meta-regression of putative modifiers.ResultsSearches yielded 111 reports including over 3 million adults sampled from 11 nations in five continents. Odds of incident cases of depression or an increase in subclinical depressive symptoms were reduced after exposure to physical activity (OR, 95% CI) in crude (0.69, 0.63 to 0.75; I2=93.7) and adjusted (0.79, 0.75 to 0.82; I2=87.6) analyses. Results were materially the same for incident depression and subclinical symptoms. Odds were lower after moderate or vigorous physical activity that met public health guidelines than after light physical activity. These odds were also lower when exposure to physical activity increased over time during a study period compared with the odds when physical activity was captured as a single baseline measure of exposure.ConclusionCustomary and increasing levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in observational studies are inversely associated with incident depression and the onset of subclinical depressive symptoms among adults regardless of global region, gender, age or follow-up period.

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Systematic review of interventions in the childcare setting with direct parental involvement: effectiveness on child weight status and energy balance-related behaviours

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity ◽

10.1186/s12966-019-0874-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

I. van de Kolk ◽

S. R. B. Verjans-Janssen ◽

J. S. Gubbels ◽

S. P. J. Kremers ◽

S. M. P. L. Gerards

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Energy Balance ◽

Parental Involvement ◽

Sedentary Behaviour ◽

Weight Status ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Early Years ◽

Effect Sizes ◽

Intervention Effectiveness

Abstract Background The early years are a crucial period to promote healthy energy balance-related behaviours in children and prevent overweight and obesity. The childcare setting is important for health-promoting interventions. Increasingly, attention has been paid to parental involvement in childcare-based interventions. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions with direct parental involvement on the children’s weight status and behavioural outcomes. Methods A systematic search was conducted in four electronic databases to include studies up until January 2019. Studies written in English, describing results on relevant outcomes (weight status, physical activity, sedentary behaviour and/or nutrition-related behaviour) of childcare-based interventions with direct parental involvement were included. Studies not adopting a pre-post-test design or reporting on pilot studies were excluded. To improve comparability, effect sizes (Cohen’s d) were calculated. Information on different types of environment targeted (e.g., social, physical, political and economic) was extracted in order to narratively examine potential working principles of effective interventions. Results A total of 22 studies, describing 17 different interventions, were included. With regard to the intervention group, 61.1% found some favourable results on weight status, 73.3% on physical activity, 88.9% on sedentary behaviour, and all on nutrition-related behaviour. There were studies that also showed unfavourable results. Only a small number of studies was able to show significant differences between the intervention and control group (22.2% weight status, 60.0% physical activity, 66.6% sedentary behaviour, 76.9% nutrition behaviour). Effect sizes, if available, were predominantly small to moderate, with some exceptions with large effect sizes. The interventions predominantly targeted the socio-cultural and physical environments in both the childcare and home settings. Including changes in the political environment in the intervention and a higher level of intensity of parental involvement appeared to positively impact intervention effectiveness. Conclusion Childcare-based interventions with direct parental involvement show promising effects on the children’s energy balance-related behaviours. However, evidence on effectiveness is limited, particularly for weight-related outcomes. Better understanding of how to reach and involve parents may be essential for strengthening intervention effectiveness.

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A Longitudinal Study of Objectively Measured Built Environment as Determinant of Physical Activity in Young Adults: The European Youth Heart Study

Journal of Physical Activity and Health ◽

10.1123/jpah.2014-0039 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 909-914 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Jasper Schipperijn ◽

Mathias Ried-Larsen ◽

Merete S. Nielsen ◽

Anneli F. Holdt ◽

Anders Grøntved ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Young Adults ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Built Environment ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Environmental Indices ◽

Domain Specific ◽

Objectively Measured ◽

European Youth

Background:This longitudinal study aimed to examine if a Movability Index (MI), based on objectively measured built environment characteristics, was a determinant for objectively measured physical activity (PA) among young adults.Methods:Data collected from 177 persons participating in the Danish part of the European Youth Hearth Study (EYHS) was used to examine the effect of the built environment on PA. A MI was developed using objectively measured built environment characteristics, and included residential density, recreational facilities, daily destinations and street connectivity.Results:Results showed a positive cross-sectional association between MI and PA. PA decreased from baseline to follow-up. MI increased, primarily due to participants relocating to larger cities. An increase in MI from baseline to follow-up was associated with a reduced decrease in PA for females.Conclusions:Our findings suggest that the built environment is a determinant for PA, especially for females. The found gender differences might suggest the need to develop gender specific environmental indices in future studies. The validity of the measures can be further improved by creating domain specific PA measures as well as domain specific environmental indices and this can potentially reveal more specific built environment determinants for PA.

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