Does the socioeconomic positioned neighbourhood matter? Norwegian adolescents’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators for physical activity

Background and aims: A higher proportion of adolescents from lower socioeconomic position families tend to be less physically active than their counterparts from higher socioeconomic position families. More research is needed to understand the causes of these differences, particularly the influence of the neighbourhood environment. This qualitative study aims to explore how adolescents and their parents from higher and lower socioeconomic neighbourhoods perceive the social, organisational and physical environment influencing adolescents’ physical activity behaviours. Method: We conducted six semi-structured focus groups with 35 13–14-year-olds and eight interviews with some of their parents. The interviewees were recruited from one higher and two lower socioeconomic neighbourhoods in Oslo, Norway. Theme-based coding was used for analysis, and the results discussed in light of an ecological framework. Results: The results indicate that factors like social norms in a neighbourhood could shape adolescents’ physical activity behaviour, and a social norm of an active lifestyle seemed to be an essential facilitator in the higher socioeconomic neighbourhood. Higher availability of physical activity and high parental engagement seemed to facilitate higher physical activity in this neighbourhood. In the lower socioeconomic neighbourhoods, the availability of local organised physical activity and volunteer engagement from parents varied. Programmes from the municipality and volunteer organisations seemed to influence and be essential for adolescents’ physical activity behaviour in these neighbourhoods. Conclusions: The results illustrate the complexity of behaviour and environment interaction, and a limitation in explaining the phenomenon by focusing primarily on the individual level rather than an ecological perspective.

DETERMINANT FACTORS OF NEIGHBOURHOOD QUALITY INFLUENCING RESIDENTIAL MOBILITY BEHAVIOUR IN PENANG ISLAND

Residential mobility behaviour is about people’s choices and preferences whether to remain at the present house and neighbourhood, or to move out. Moving to another house or neighbourhood entails a deliberate decision that require various considerations by the residents involved especially in dealing with housing adjustments, life neccesities and financial matters. Residents’ perceptions of their housing and neighbourhood can be indicative of their intention to stay in or move out. The act of moving is often asssociated with lower levels of satisfactions with residents’ current housing and neighbourhood environment, thus activating selfpreference and residential mobility. This study aims to identify the determinant factors of neighbourhood quality that influence residential mobility behaviour in neighbourhoods in Penang Island. The nine attributes of neighbourhood quality dimensions included in this study are dwelling features, dwelling utility, neighbourhood facilities, greenery, accessibility, public transportation, environment, economic livelihood, and neighbourhood interaction and attachments. A total of 717 heads of households residing in Penang Island were involved in the questionnaire survey. Using logistic regression method, the study findings reveal that four factors of dwelling features, facilities, neighbourhood environment, and neighbourhood interaction and attachments are significant in influencing residents’ intention to move. Moreover, both internal and external factors of housing and the neighbourhood can influence the residents’ decision to stay in or to move out, thus implying important policy measures for local housing.

Profiling the Variability and Inequity in the Residential Environment in Cyprus According to Citizens’ Ratings: A Cross-Sectional Internet-Based “Place Standard” Survey

Background The “Place Standard Tool” (PST) offers a practical framework for structuring conversations about physical and social dimensions of Place which can impact on health and well-being. While extensively used in the context of community engagement, its properties as a measurement tool haven’t been explored. Methods Under the auspices of the Cyprus Healthy Cities Office, an open call was addressed to citizens to rate their neighbourhood environment across the 14 PST items (1: large to 7: little room for improvement). Exploratory factor, cluster and regression analyses were used to explore the dimensionality of the scale, depict neighbourhood profiles and explore differences in ratings according to socio-demographic characteristics, area-level census indicators and residents’ assessment of neighbourhood social position on a 10-step ladder. Results With the exception of safety (M=4.4, SD=1.7), 492 participants (mean age 42, 50% residents for >10 years) from 254 postcodes (21.7% islandwide) did not rate other features favourably, with lowest scores for “influence and sense of control” and “public transport”. A stepwise pattern of dissatisfaction was observed along the social position continuum both for features rated less favourably as well as more favourably (e.g. social contact). For instance, among participants who placed their neighbourhood at the three top steps of the ladder 48.8% gave a low rating for “influence and sense of control”, while the equivalent figure was 81.0% at the bottom three steps (OR=4.5, 95% CI 2.3, 8.6). A clear dimensionality of Built (6 items, Cronbach’s α coefficient for internal consistency=0.798), Physical (3 items, α = 0.765), Social (2 items, α = 0.749) and Service (3 items, α = 0.58) environment was identified. A social gradient was evident according to objective census measures of socio-economic disadvantage (e.g. pre-1980 housing, single-parent households) with larger differences in terms of the built than the social environment. Conclusions The study profiled the variability and documented the inequity in the health-related neighbourhood environment across Cypriot communities. The readily interpretable dimensionality of the scale supports its construct validity, allowing calculation of composite scores. The PST can be used as measurement tool in research as well as public health practice to advocate for neighbourhood initiatives which support and enhance citizens’ participation.

From urban neighbourhood environments to cognitive health: a cross-sectional analysis of the role of physical activity and sedentary behaviours

Background There is a dearth of studies on the effects of the neighbourhood environment on adults’ cognitive function. We examined how interrelated aspects of the built and natural neighbourhood environment, including air pollution, correlate with adults’ cognitive function, and the roles of physical activity and sedentary behaviours in these associations. Methods We used data from 4,141 adult urban dwellers who participated in the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle 3 study on socio-demographic characteristics, neighbourhood self-selection, physical activity and sedentary behaviours, and cognitive function. Neighbourhood environmental characteristics included population density, intersection density, non-commercial land use mix, and percentages of commercial land, parkland and blue space, all within 1 km residential buffers. We also calculated annual mean concentrations of NO2 and PM2.5. Generalised additive mixed models informed by directed acyclic graphs were used to estimate the total, direct and indirect effects of environmental attributes on cognitive functions and the joint-significance test was used to examine indirect effects via behaviours. Results In the total effects models, population density and percentage of parkland were positively associated with cognitive function. A positive association of PM2.5 with memory was also observed. All neighbourhood environmental attributes were directly and/or indirectly related to cognitive functions via other environmental attributes and/or physical activity but not sedentary behaviours. Engagement in transportation walking and gardening frequency partially mediated the positive effects of the neighbourhood environment on cognitive function, while frequency of transportation walking mediated the negative effects. Conclusions In the context of a low-density country like Australia, denser urban environments with access to parkland may benefit residents’ cognitive health by providing opportunities for participation in a diversity of activities. A more fine-grained characterisation of the neighbourhood environment may be necessary to tease out the negative and positive impacts of inter-related characteristics of urban neighbourhood environments on cognitive function.

The Importance of the Neighbourhood Environment and Social Capital for Happiness in a Vulnerable District: The Case of the Pajarillos District in Spain

The characteristics of neighbourhoods, their physical and social environment, have been shown to have profound effects on the individual well-being and happiness of their residents. In an effort to help design policies and action plans that enhance well-being in the district, our study seeks to understand how happiness levels among residents in a low-income neighbourhood in Spain are linked to their socio-demographic traits, individual health, relationships with the area, and community, as well as with the physical environment of the neighbourhood. The study is part of a project called "Educa-Pajarillos Sostenible". The project aims to improve the quality of life of the area’s citizens by carrying out a series of actions. One of these actions is an eco-social map of happiness, which involves designing and applying a survey and which serves as a source of analysis for our research. An Ordered Choice Logit econometric model was applied to measure the effect of the happiness of demographic, neighbourhood environment, social capital, and socio-demographic characteristics. Results confirm the importance of variables related to the neighbourhood’s social capital and physical environment as key elements in local residents’ happiness. The findings also indicate that traditional indicators used to measure well-being, such as education or difficulty making ends meet, are not significant.

Questing a walkable city: a case of urban neighbourhood walkability environment in Bangladesh

Purpose What makes neighbourhood environment more walkable is an important question for urban planning and design research. The purpose of this paper is to explore this question through a case study of urban sidewalks in different contexts of urban neighbourhoods in Rajshahi city of Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach Using participatory observation, Google street view and photography techniques, it examines the quality of the street facilities by demonstrating physical attributes of sidewalks and by analysing how various obstructions on them characterize neighbourhood walkability environment. Findings The findings suggest that the unusable sidewalks in Rajshahi city, Bangladesh, are a production of inadequate and inappropriate planning and design that unable to capitalize the functionality of sidewalks as a means of walking. It further argues that the urban planners and designers of streets have paid little attention to the diverse requirements of sidewalks in accordance with spatial and socio-economic categories of urban neighbourhoods. Originality/value This study adds insights about the urban sidewalks planning and design in the context of a developing country. It provides an empirical evidence about the constraints and potentials of making a walkable city.

Perceived social and built environment associations of leisure-time physical activity among adults in Sri Lanka

Objective Although perceived neighbourhood environment is considered a predictor of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), evidence for this is limited in South Asia. Thus, the aim was to determine the association between neighbourhood social and built environment features in carrying out LTPA among adults in Colombo District, Sri Lanka. A cross-sectional study among 1320 adults was carried out using validated questionnaires for physical activity (PA) and built environment data collection. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the associations between environment characteristics and LTPA after adjusting for gender, age, employment status, income level and sector of residence. Results A total of 21.7% of adults participated in some LTPA. The commonest type of LTPA was walking; carried out by 14.5%. Moderate and vigorous activity at leisure was carried out by 10.3% and 3.9% respectively. Perceived social acceptance for PA was positively associated with LTPA. Out of the built environment characteristics perceived infrastructure for walking, and recreational facilities for PA were negatively associated with LTPA. Self-efficacy emerged as an important positive correlate of LTPA. The participants were positively influenced by the self-efficacy and perceived social environment which should be addressed when promoting LTPA.