The effect of infrastructural changes in the built environment on physical activity, active transportation and sedentary behavior - A systematic review.

This systematic review examined the effect of built environment infrastructural changes (BEICs) on physical activity (PA), active transportation (AT) and sedentary behavior (SB). A literature search resulted in nineteen eligible articles. On- and off-road bicycling and/or walking trails resulted in inconsistent effects on overall PA and walking, and in predominantly positive effects on bicycling. More extensive BEICs led to mixed results, with mainly non-significant effects. However, positive effects on bicycling were found for people living closer to BEICs. None of the studies assessed SB. Improved understanding of the potential of BEICs to increase PA levels and decrease SB at population level asks for more high-quality, in-depth research, that takes into account the broader system.

Hour-by-hour physical activity patterns of adults aged 45-65 years: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Limited information exists on hour-by-hour physical activity (PA) patterns among adults aged 45-65 years. Therefore, this study aimed to distinguish typical hour-by-hour PA patterns, and examined which individuals typically adopt certain PA patterns. Methods: Accelerometers measured light and moderate-vigorous PA. GIS-data provided proportions of land use within an 800 and 1600 m buffer around participant's homes. Latent class analyses were performed to distinguish PA patterns and groups of individuals with similar PA patterns. Results: Four PA patterns were identified: a morning light PA pattern, a mid-day moderate-vigorous PA pattern, an overall inactive pattern and an overall active pattern. Groups of individuals with similar PA patterns differed in ethnicity, dog ownership, and the proportion of roads, sports terrain, larger green and blue space within their residential areas. Conclusions: Four typical hour-by-hour PA patterns, and three groups of individuals with similar patterns were distinguished. It is this combination that can substantially contribute to the development of more tailored policies and interventions. PA patterns were only to a limited extent associated with personal and residential characteristics, suggesting that other factors such as work time regimes, family life and leisure may also have considerable impact on the distribution of PA throughout the day.

How do type and size of natural environments relate to physical activity behavior?

Natural environments (NE) are promoted as places that support physical activity (PA), but evidence on PA distribution across various types and sizes of NE is lacking. Accelerometers and GPS-devices measured PA of Dutch general population adults aged 45-65 years (N=279). Five NE types were distinguished: 'parks', 'recreational area', 'agricultural green', 'forest & moorland', and 'blue space', and four categories of size: 0-3, 3-7, 7-27, and ≥27 ha. Modality (i.e. spatially concentrated PA, walking, jogging, and cycling) and intensity (i.e. sedentary behavior, LPA, and MVPA) of PA varied significantly between NE types. Compared to parks, less sedentary behavior and walking but more spatially concentrated PA was observed in recreational areas and green space. Cycling levels were found to be significantly lower in recreational areas and forest & moorland, but higher in blue space as compared to parks. Larger sized NE (≥7 ha) were associated with higher levels of MVPA, walking, jogging and cycling. Insight in which environments (according to type and size) facilitate PA, contributes to the development of tailored PA promoting interventions with ensuing implications for public health.