scholarly journals Legacies of Environmental Injustice on Neighborhood Violence, Poverty and Active Living in an African American Community

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 425-432
Author(s):  
Erica Payton Foh ◽  
Rashida R. Brown ◽  
Kunga Denzongpa ◽  
Sandra Echeverria
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
African American ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Active Living ◽  
High Poverty ◽  
Ethnic Segregation ◽  
Environmental Injustice ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
The Impact

Features of the built environment such as parks and open spaces contribute to increased physical activity in populations, while living in neighborhoods with high poverty, racial/ethnic segregation, presence of neighborhood problems, and violence has been associated with less active living. Our present study examined the factors that may facilitate or hinder the long-term success of built environment interventions aimed at promoting physical activity in com­munities with a legacy of environmental injustice. The data for this study came from a larger assessment of the impact of a new local park in Newark, NJ. Analysis included all adults from the original study population who self-identified as African American/ Black (N=95).To provide an in-depth understanding of how neighborhood social and physical features influence physical activity among African Americans living in high poverty neighborhoods, we analyzed data from two focus groups with a total of 14 participants, and six in-depth interviews held in 2009- 2010.Survey results indicated high exposure to violence, and associations between neigh­borhood features and walking. Self-reported neighborhood walkability was associated with increased walking (P=.01), while in­creased perception of neighborhood safety was associated with less walking (P=.01). Qualitative results indicated that residents perceived the new park as a positive change, but also expressed concern about the presence of violence and lack of social cohesion among neighbors, with younger generations expressing less optimism than the elderly. Positive changes associated with improvements to the built environment may be limited by social conditions such as neighborhood violence.These mixed findings suggest that poli­cies and initiatives aimed at improving the built environment should address pov­erty, safety, and social cohesion to ensure more active living communities.Ethn Dis. 2021:31(3):425-432; doi:10.18865/ed.31.3.425

Abstract P267: New Urbanism and Its Impact on Active Living among Inner City Children/Youth

Circulation ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 125 (suppl_10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory W Heath ◽  
Sarah White-Woerner
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Inner City ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Active Living ◽  
The South ◽  
City Community ◽  
New Urbanist ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Urban Trail

Introduction: Although it is known that urban design and land use at the community level contributes to active living, there remains a paucity of such information among low income and diverse populations affected by such infrastructure. Reconstruction of an inner city community in Chattanooga, Tennessee afforded the opportunity to assess the impact of new urbanist construction on active living among African-American children/youth living in the inner city. Hypothesis: Transportation and recreational physical activity levels among children/youth residing in a new urbanist community was hypothesized to be higher compared to demographically similar children/youth who reside in a more traditional inner city community. Methods: Using the System for Observing Physical Activity and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) we examined an urban trail and recreational park areas of two distinct communities to assess physical activity, sports, and recreational of children/youth. SOPARC data were collected in each of 4 settings in each community (East, a traditional and South, a new urbanist) during four 1-h observation periods during 7 days of clement weather. Observations were made during each day of the week in each setting (i.e., Sunday through Saturday). Results: The SOPARC assessments of the urban trail and pedestrian/bicycle routes in the South and East yielded a total of 672 and 436 children/youth observations, respectively. South children/youth were over three times more likely to engage in vigorous physical activity compared to their East counterparts (Mantel-Haenszel Chi Square = 19.67; P< 0.00001). Conclusions: The present findings support the hypothesis that enhanced environmental supports, such as those found within the South community, increase the likelihood of greater levels of activity among children/youth compared to children/youth that were not exposed to these environmental enhancements. This comparative difference was most remarkable when examining the SOPARC assessment differences along the transport path/sidewalk routes, with South children/youth being significantly more likely than the East children/youth to engage in more vigorous forms of physical activity along this transport/recreational corridor, providing evidence that access to these types of ‘urban’ trails appears to translate into increased opportunities for physical activity among children/youth.

scholarly journals Is missing geographic positioning system data in accelerometry studies a problem, and is imputation the solution?

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin Meseck ◽  
Marta M. Jankowska ◽  
Jasper Schipperijn ◽  
Loki Natarajan ◽  
Suneeta Godbole ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Gps Data ◽  
Positioning System ◽  
Accelerometer Data ◽  
Generalised Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

The main purpose of the present study was to assess the impact of global positioning system (GPS) signal lapse on physical activity analyses, discover any existing associations between missing GPS data and environmental and demographics attributes, and to determine whether imputation is an accurate and viable method for correcting GPS data loss. Accelerometer and GPS data of 782 participants from 8 studies were pooled to represent a range of lifestyles and interactions with the built environment. Periods of GPS signal lapse were identified and extracted. Generalised linear mixed models were run with the number of lapses and the length of lapses as outcomes. The signal lapses were imputed using a simple ruleset, and imputation was validated against person-worn camera imagery. A final generalised linear mixed model was used to identify the difference between the amount of GPS minutes pre- and post-imputation for the activity categories of sedentary, light, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Over 17% of the dataset was comprised of GPS data lapses. No strong associations were found between increasing lapse length and number of lapses and the demographic and built environment variables. A significant difference was found between the pre- and postimputation minutes for each activity category. No demographic or environmental bias was found for length or number of lapses, but imputation of GPS data may make a significant difference for inclusion of physical activity data that occurred during a lapse. Imputing GPS data lapses is a viable technique for returning spatial context to accelerometer data and improving the completeness of the dataset.

Evaluating the Effective Physical Indicators of Built Environment on Promotion of Sustainable Transportation: The Case of Sanandaj City

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 774-799
Author(s):  
Farzin Charehjoo ◽  
Nassim Hoorijani
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Sustainable Transportation ◽  
Neighborhood Design ◽  
Statistical Population ◽  
The Impact

The main goal of this research is to evaluate the relationship between the built environment and public health of citizens in four different buffers of Sanandaj, Kurdistan province, Iran. There is a growing body of evidence that links the neighborhood design to public health and argues that the built environment impacts on the public health of people through the weakening or strengthening of sustainable transportation (walking, cycling, and public transportation) and physical activity. Regular physical activity has a significant impact on the health of individuals, and this can be the best way to cope with several diseases. The statistical population of this study includes people between the age of 18 and 65 years in Sanandaj city. The method used to investigate the normality of dependent variables is the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test; the assessment of the resident’s difference of physical activities is conducted through one-way variance; the impact of the built environment on physical activities is assessed through a multivariate regression test, and the effect of physical activity on the health of the individuals is evaluated through a correlation test. This study, by explaining the characteristics of the built environment in four different buffers, has exhibited that the environment supporting physical activity of pedestrians plays a critical role in increasing the amount of physical activity they engage in.

Abstract P280: Neighborhood Social Cohesion Does Not Moderate the Association of Neighborhood Walkability With Aerobic Physical Activity in Latino Adults: The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2015

Circulation ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 137 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosenda Murillo ◽  
Layton M Reesor ◽  
Daphne C Hernandez ◽  
Ezemenari M Obasi
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Physical Activity Guideline ◽  
Neighborhood Safety ◽  
Aerobic Activity ◽  
Neighborhood Walkability ◽  
Neighborhood Social Cohesion ◽  
Latino Adults

Introduction: Neighborhood walkability and neighborhood social cohesion have been shown to contribute to physical activity. However, limited research has examined neighborhood social cohesion as a moderator in the association between neighborhood walkability and aerobic physical activity among Latino adults. We examined associations of neighborhood walkability using measures assessing built environment and safety, with meeting the aerobic activity guideline among a large nationally representative diverse sample of Latino adults. Methods: We used cross-sectional data from 4,765 NHIS 2015 Latino participants 18 years of age and older. Neighborhood walkability was assessed based on self-reported measures of built environment (e.g., presence of sidewalks, presence of paths/trails) and neighborhood safety (e.g., presence of traffic, crime). A neighborhood walkability score was created by combining the built environment and neighborhood safety items, with a higher score indicating higher walkability. Aerobic activity was categorized as meeting versus not meeting the aerobic activity guideline, based on 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans . Neighborhood social cohesion was measured based on self-reported items assessing perceived neighborhood social cohesion. Survey logistic regression was used to compute odds ratios [OR] and 95% confidence intervals [CI], with covariates adjusting for age, sex, education, acculturation, and neighborhood social cohesion. Effect modification by neighborhood social cohesion was tested by inclusion of a neighborhood walkability and neighborhood social cohesion interaction term. Results: On average the sample was 44 years old, 44% were male, 36% had less than a high school education, and 58% were foreign-born. After adjusting for age, sex, education, and acculturation, a one-unit higher neighborhood walkability score was associated with significantly higher odds of meeting the aerobic physical activity guideline (OR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.11), relative to not meeting the aerobic activity guideline. After adding neighborhood social cohesion to the adjusted model, the association between neighborhood walkability and meeting the aerobic activity guideline was slightly attenuated, but remained significant (OR: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.11). Results from the effect modification test indicated that the neighborhood walkability and neighborhood social cohesion interaction term was not significant. Conclusions: These findings suggest that neighborhood walkability contributes to meeting the aerobic physical activity guideline among Latino adults. However, neighborhood social cohesion does not moderate the association between neighborhood walkability and meeting the aerobic activity guideline.

scholarly journals Influence of the built environment of Nanjing’s Urban Community on the leisure physical activity of the elderly: an empirical study

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhi-jian Wu ◽  
Yanliqing Song ◽  
Hou-lei Wang ◽  
Fan Zhang ◽  
Fang-hui Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Linear Regression Method ◽  
Street Connectivity ◽  
Recreational Physical Activity ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Urbanization and aging are global phenomena that offer unique challenges in different countries. A supportive environment plays an important role in addressing the issues of health behavioral change and health promotion (e.g., prevent chronic illnesses, promote mental health) among older adults. With the development of the socio-ecological theoretical model, studies on the impact of supportive environments on physical activity have become popular in the public health field in the EU and US. Meanwhile, very few Chinese studies have examined the relationship between built environment features and older adults’ physical activity at the ecological level. The purpose of the study is to investigate how the factors part of the built environment of Nanjing’s communities also influence leisure time physical activity among the elderly. Methods Using a socio-ecological model as a theoretical framework, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 399 elderly people from 19 communities in Nanjing, China, using a one-on-one questionnaire to collect data, including participants’ perceived built environment and self-reported physical activity. A multivariate linear regression method was used to analyze the factors influencing their recreational physical activity. Results This study found that compared to older people with low average monthly income, the recreational physical activity of the elderly with average monthly incomes between 1001 and 2000 ¥ (β = 23.31, p < 0.001) and 2001 ¥ or more (β = 21.15, p < 0.001) are significantly higher. After controlling for individual covariates, street connectivity (β = 7.34, p = 0.030) and street pavement slope (β = − 7.72, p = 0.020), we found that two out of ten built environment factors indicators influence their physical activity. The importance of each influencing factor ranked from highest to lowest are monthly average income, street pavement slope, and street connectivity. Other factors were not significantly related to recreational physical activity by the elderly. Conclusions Older adults with a high income were more likely to participate in recreational physical activity than those with a low income. In order to positively impact physical activity in older adults and ultimately improve health, policymakers and urban planners need to ensure that street connectivity and street pavement slope are factored into the design and development of the urban environment.

scholarly journals Study on the Impact of the Objective Characteristics and Subjective Perception of the Built Environment on Residents’ Physical Activities in Fuzhou, China

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lizhen Zhao ◽  
Zhenjiang Shen ◽  
Yanji Zhang ◽  
Fubin Sheng
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Structural Equations ◽  
Subjective Perception ◽  
Direct Impact ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
General Physical ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Many researchers have confirmed a correlation between the built environment and physical activity. However, most studies are based on the objective characteristics of the built environment, and seldom involve the residents’ subjective perception. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between the subjective and objective characteristics of the built environment and physical activity at the community scale. Data consists of that collected from a social survey, Points of Interest (POI), the road network, and land use in Fuzhou, China. The duration of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) within a week is used to represent the general physical activity of residents. Security perception is introduced as an intermediary variable. SPSS software is used for factor analysis and Amos software for statistical analysis. Structural equations are set up to analyse the relationship between these variables. The final results show that: (1) The objective characteristics of the built environment have no direct impact on the development of leisure MVPA, but it can indirectly affect leisure MVPA through residents’ subjective perception of the built environment; (2) The subjective perception of residents has a significant impact on the duration of MVPA, the subjective perception of humanized space has a direct impact on the duration of MVPA, and destination accessibility and urban environment maintenance has an indirect impact through community public security perception; and (3) The individuals’ attributes such as gender and self-evaluated socioeconomic status have negative effects on the duration of leisure MVPA, and an individual’s love of sports has a positive effect on MVPA.

scholarly journals Simulating the Impact of Crime on African American Women's Physical Activity and Obesity

Obesity ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (12) ◽  
pp. 2149-2155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley ◽  
Michelle S. Wong ◽  
Joel Adu-Brimpong ◽  
Shawn T. Brown ◽  
Daniel L. Hertenstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
African American ◽  
The Impact
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