Browsing by Subject "Built environment"

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    Association between perceived built environmental attributes and physical activity among adults in South Africa
    (2017) Malambo, Pasmore; Pheiffer, Carmen; Lambert, Estelle V; De Villers, Anniza; Puoane, Thandi
    Abstract Background To investigate the association between perceived environmental attributes and leisure-time and transport-related physical activity. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey involving 671 South Africans aged ≥35 years from urban and rural settings. International Physical Activity Questionnaire and Neighbourhood Walkability Scale were used to collect data. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to investigate the associations. Results Significant urban vs. rural differences were apparent in the distribution of most attributes of neighborhood environment. After adjusting for gender, age, setting and relevant interaction terms, proximity to local stores was significantly associated with leisure-time physical activity (OR: 4.26; 95% CI, 1.00–18.08); while proximity to transit stops (2.44; 1.48–4.02), pleasant scenery (1.93; 1.07–3.46), sidewalks (2.36; 1.25–4.44), shade from trees (2.14; 1.19–3.85), traffic (2.17; 91.21–3.91) and well-lit streets (2.01; 1.04–3.89) were significantly associated with walking for leisure. Four-way intersections (4.54; 1.54–13.43), pleasant scenery (3.84; 1.35–10.99), traffic (0.28; 0.09–0.89), sidewalks (3.75; 1.06-13.27) and crosswalks were associated with transport related physical activity. Proximity to transit stops (2.12; 1.17–3.84) and well maintained sidewalks (2.69; 2.20–10.02) were significantly associated with total physical activity. Significant interactions by setting were apparent in some of the associations. Conclusion Some, but not all attributes of a neighborhood environment were significantly associated in expected directions with the three physical activity domains in this mixed urban and rural population. This study highlights the need for policy strategies aimed at improving or maintaining these perceived environmental attributes to promote physical activity.
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    Association between perceived built environmental attributes and physical activity among adults in South Africa
    (BioMed Central, 2017-02-20) Malambo, Pasmore; Kengne, Andre P; Lambert, Estelle V; De Villers, Anniza; Puoane, Thandi
    Background: To investigate the association between perceived environmental attributes and leisure-time and transport-related physical activity. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey involving 671 South Africans aged ≥35 years from urban and rural settings. International Physical Activity Questionnaire and Neighbourhood Walkability Scale were used to collect data. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to investigate the associations. Results: Significant urban vs. rural differences were apparent in the distribution of most attributes of neighborhood environment. After adjusting for gender, age, setting and relevant interaction terms, proximity to local stores was significantly associated with leisure-time physical activity (OR: 4.26; 95% CI, 1.00–18.08); while proximity to transit stops (2.44; 1.48–4.02), pleasant scenery (1.93; 1.07–3.46), sidewalks (2.36; 1.25–4.44), shade from trees (2.14; 1.19–3. 85), traffic (2.17; 91.21–3.91) and well-lit streets (2.01; 1.04–3.89) were significantly associated with walking for leisure. Four-way intersections (4.54; 1.54–13.43), pleasant scenery (3.84; 1.35–10.99), traffic (0.28; 0.09–0.89), sidewalks (3.75; 1.06-13.27) and crosswalks were associated with transport related physical activity. Proximity to transit stops (2.12; 1.17–3.84) and well maintained sidewalks (2.69; 2.20–10.02) were significantly associated with total physical activity. Significant interactions by setting were apparent in some of the associations. Conclusion: Some, but not all attributes of a neighborhood environment were significantly associated in expected directions with the three physical activity domains in this mixed urban and rural population. This study highlights the need for policy strategies aimed at improving or maintaining these perceived environmental attributes to promote physical activity.
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    Children’s route choice during active transportation to school: difference between shortest and actual route
    (2016) Dessing, Dirk; de Vries, Sanne I; Hegeman, Geertje; Verhagen, Evert; van Mechelen, Willem; Pierik, Frank H
    BackgroundThe purpose of this study is to increase our understanding of environmental correlates that are associated with route choice during active transportation to school (ATS) by comparing characteristics of actual walking and cycling routes between home and school with the shortest possible route to school.MethodsChildren (n = 184; 86 boys, 98 girls; age range: 8–12 years) from seven schools in suburban municipalities in the Netherlands participated in the study. Actual walking and cycling routes to school were measured with a GPS-device that children wore during an entire school week. Measurements were conducted in the period April–June 2014. Route characteristics for both actual and shortest routes between home and school were determined for a buffer of 25m from the routes and divided into four categories: Land use (residential, commercial, recreational, traffic areas), Aesthetics (presence of greenery/natural water ways along route), Traffic (safety measures such as traffic lights, zebra crossings, speed bumps) and Type of street (pedestrian, cycling, residential streets, arterial roads). Comparison of characteristics of shortest and actual routes was performed with conditional logistic regression models.ResultsMedian distance of the actual walking routes was 390.1m, whereas median distance of actual cycling routes was 673.9m. Actual walking and cycling routes were not significantly longer than the shortest possible routes. Children mainly traveled through residential areas on their way to school (>80% of the route). Traffic lights were found to be positively associated with route choice during ATS. Zebra crossings were less often present along the actual routes (walking: OR = 0.17, 95 % CI = 0.05–0.58; cycling: OR = 0.31, 95 % CI = 0.14–0.67), and streets with a high occurrence of accidents were less often used during cycling to school (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.43–0.76). Moreover, percentage of visible surface water along the actual route was higher compared to the shortest routes (walking: OR = 1.04, 95 % CI = 1.01–1.07; cycling: OR = 1.03, 95 % CI = 1.01–1.05).DiscussionThis study showed a novel approach to examine built environmental exposure during active transport to school. Most of the results of the study suggest that children avoid to walk or cycle along busy roads on their way to school.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12966-016-0373-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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    "Perceived neighborhood walkability" and physical activity in four urban settings in South Africa
    (2019) Isiagi, Moses; Lambert, Estelle; Okop, Kufre Joseph
    Introduction. In Africa, studies on the associations between the perceived neighbourhood walkability and physical activity, particularly, by socio-economic status (SES) remain scarce. This study explores these associations by validating the Neighbourhood Environmental Walkability Scale (NEWS-Africa) in an urban setting of South Africa to gain a better understanding of the construct of neighbourhood “walkability”. Methods. A convient sample of residents from four suburbs in urban metropole (n=52, 18-65yr, 81% women) in the Western Cape Province, South Africa (viz. Langa, Khayelitsha, Pinelands and Table View) were recruited through invitations following community gatherings and church services. Measures were obtained on perceived neighbourhood walkability, self-reported and measured physical activity and socio-economic status. Langa and Khayelitsha represented two primarily low-SES townships, whereas Pinelands and Table View represented suburbs of a higher-SES. Participants completed the 76-item (13 subscales) NEWS-Africa survey by structured interviews and reported weekly minutes of walking for transport and recreation using items from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Objective data on physical activity was collected using accelerometers, and ground-truthing was used to assess the neighbourhood environment using global information systems (GIS) in a 1000m buffer around each geocoded household. The research was carried out in three parts: 1) Evaluating the reliability and construct validity of the NEWS-Africa instrument between the two-SES groups. 2) Examining some of the walkability constructs and subscales of the NEWS-Africa instrument using GIS and ground-truthing, and the extent to which the SES of communities influenced these associations. 3) Examining the differences in self-reported physical activity (domains), measured physical activity (MVPA) when groups are divided according to SES, GIS walkability (1000m buffers) and if the data support the notion of utilitarian walking in low SES groups, irrespective of the built environment attributes. Results. For the combined-SES groups, the test-retest reliability indicated a good reliability with 10 out of the 13 scales of the NEWS-Africa being significantly and positively correlated. The Spearman’s correlations ranged from (rs = -0.43, p=0.00 to rs = 0.79, p=0.00). For construct validity of the NEWS -Africa instrument against self-reported physical activity, only three scales were related to walking for transport: Neighbourhood surroundings scale (rs= -0.34, p=0.01), Safety from Traffic scale (rs =0.34, p< 0.05) and people in the low-SES and combined SES perceived public bus/ train stops to be nearer than they actually were (rs =-0.50, P< 0.05). Of the 13 scales of the NEWS-Africa questionnaire, 6 were significantly correlated to GIS-measured walkability index parameters. The Roads and walking paths scale was positively associated with GIS-measured walkability (rs = 0.3), and the Stranger danger scale was negatively associated with GIS-measured walkability (rs = -0.4). When we considered GIS-measured Land use mix, 3 of the NEWS- Africa scales were correlated (For the entire sample, the scales including Places for walking, cycling and playing overall scale (rs = 0.3), and Neighbourhood surroundings scale (rs = 0.3), were positively associated respectively). Conversely, Stranger danger scale was inversely correlated (rs = -0.6). Intersection density measured with GIS was significantly and positively associated with the Roads and walking paths scale for all groups combined (rs = 0.3). For GIS-measured walkability, self-report physical and measured physical activity, there were no associations in any of the domains for self-reported physical activity within the 1000m buffer for all groups. However, for the objectively measured physical activity in the 1000m buffer, vigorous physical activity (rs = -0.39) was inversely associated with intersection density in the low-SES and moderate (rs = -0.29) and total MVPA (rs = -0.31) were inversely associated with Intersection density in the high SES. Conclusions: The overall results of the current study across all chapters generally show a mismatch between the perceived and objectively-assessed built environment, particularly in low-income communities. Furthermore, in low-SES communities, we failed to show the expected relationships between attributes of the built environment and physical activity, suggesting that physical activity in these communities is more utilitarian in nature, and as such, may not be as influenced by aspect of the built environment. In summary, the data suggest that the environment (including crime rates, poor access to physical activity facilities and public transportation predominantly made by buses) has less of an association with physical activity in LMICs and more disadvantaged communities, where physical activity is used for utilitarian, rather than recreational purposes. This study stemmed from the need to broaden research on the relationship between the built environment and physical activity, considering walkability constructs. These findings also suggest that the definition of the construct of walkability be re-examined, in relation to low SES settings.
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    The relationship between the built environment and habitual levels of physical activity in South African older adults: a pilot study
    (BioMed Central Ltd, 2015) Kolbe-Alexander, Tracy; Pacheco, Kyla; Tomaz, Simone; Karpul, David; Lambert, Estelle
    BACKGROUND: Previous research has shown that the built environment plays a role in habitual levels of physical activity (PA), however much of this research has been conducted in adults and higher income countries. The aim of this pilot study was to examine the strength of association between the built environment and PA in South African older adults. METHODS: Participants were recruited (n=44, mean age 65+/-8.5years) from two suburbs, representing either a high socioeconomic (HSA) or low socioeconomic area (LSA). Self-reported PA, and subjective assessments of neighborhood walkability (Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale, NEWS) was measured. Participants wore Actigraph GT3x accelerometers to objectively quantify PA. RESULTS: HSA participants reported significantly more leisure-time and less transport PA. Objectively measured and self-reported MVPA was significantly higher in HSA participants. NEWS 'Land-use Mix' was negatively associated with leisure-time MVPA, (r2=0.20; p<0.02). In addition, neighborhood aesthetics was positively associated with leisure-time physical activity (r2=0.33; p=0.02). 'Safety from traffic' was inversely associated with travel-related PA (r2=0.14, p=0.01). None of the other NEWS scores were associated with PA for the total group. CONCLUSION: Leisure-time and transport-related PA was influenced by socio-economic status. Attributes of the perceived built environment associated with leisure-time and total MVPA in older South Africa adults were different in low- and high- income settings.
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    The relationship between objectively-measured attributes of the built environment and selected cardiovascular risk factors in a South African urban setting
    (BioMed Central, 2018-07-09) Malambo, Pasmore; De Villiers, Anniza; Lambert, Estelle V; Puoane, Thandi; Kengne, Andre P
    Abstract Background Evidence concerning the relationship between objectively-measured attributes of the built environment with cardio-metabolic risk in populations from lower- and middle-income countries is lacking. In this paper, we describe the association between the objectively-measured built environment with body mass index, blood pressure and physical activity in adult South Africans. Methods This cross-sectional study included 341 adults aged ≥35 years drawn from the Cape Town arm of the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) cohort study. All Cape Town PURE participants were invited to take part in the study. Actigraph GT3X accelerometer and Geographic Information Systems were used to measure physical activity and built environment attributes (community center, shopping center and taxi rank). Results In age and sex adjusted models (reference 500 m), access to community centers (1000 m) was positively related to body mass index [beta 4.70 (95%CI: 2.06 to 7.34)] and diastolic blood pressure [4.97 (0.00 to 9.95)]. Distance from a community center (1600 m) was positively related to diastolic blood pressure [6.58 (1.57 to 11.58)] and inversely with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [− 69.30 (− 134.92 to − 3.70)]. Distance to a shopping center (1600 m) was positively related to body mass index [4.78 (1.11 to 8.45)] and shopping center (1000 m) was positively related to systolic blood pressure respectively [76.99 (0.03 to 83.95)]. Conclusion Distance to community and shopping centers were significantly associated with BMI, systolic, diastolic blood pressure and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Future research should include multiple aspects of built environment variables in order to provide for a broader understanding of their effect on cardiovascular risk profile of African populations.