Neighborhood environmental attributes and adults' sedentary behaviors: Review and research agenda

Mohammad Javad Koohsari; Takemi Sugiyama; Shannon Sahlqvist; Suzanne Mavoa; Nyssa Hadgraft; Neville Owen

doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.05.027

Neighborhood environmental attributes and adults' sedentary behaviors: Review and research agenda

Prev Med. 2015 Aug:77:141-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.05.027. Epub 2015 Jun 4.

Authors

Mohammad Javad Koohsari¹, Takemi Sugiyama², Shannon Sahlqvist³, Suzanne Mavoa⁴, Nyssa Hadgraft⁵, Neville Owen⁶

Affiliations

¹ Behavioural Epidemiology Laboratory, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia; McCaughey VicHealth Community Wellbeing Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Centre for Design Innovation, Faculty of Health Arts & Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: Javad.Koohsari@bakeridi.edu.au.
² Behavioural Epidemiology Laboratory, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia; McCaughey VicHealth Community Wellbeing Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Centre for Design Innovation, Faculty of Health Arts & Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia; Spatial Epidemiology and Evaluation Research Group, School of Population Health, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
³ Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research (C-PAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
⁴ McCaughey VicHealth Community Wellbeing Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
⁵ Behavioural Epidemiology Laboratory, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
⁶ Behavioural Epidemiology Laboratory, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia; School of Population Health, the University of Queensland, Australia; Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Australia; Department of Medicine, Monash University, Australia.

PMID: 26051198
DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.05.027

Abstract

Objective: Physical activity recommendations are beginning to address sedentary behaviors - time spent sitting. Environmental and policy initiatives for physical activity might assist in addressing sedentary behaviors, but sedentary-specific innovations may be required. This review synthesizes current evidence on associations of neighborhood environmental attributes with adults' sedentary behaviors.

Methods: A search was conducted using three electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Transport Research Information Services). Relevant articles were assessed for their eligibility for inclusion (English-language articles with a quantitative examination of associations of neighborhood environmental attributes with adults' sedentary behaviors).

Results: Within 17 studies meeting inclusion criteria, associations of environmental attributes with sedentary behaviors were examined in 89 instances. Significant associations were found in 28% (n=25) of them; however, non-significant associations were found in 56% (n=50) of these instances. The most consistent association was for lower levels of sedentary behavior among residents of urban compared to regional areas.

Conclusions: There is a modest but mixed initial evidence in associations of neighborhood environmental attributes with adults' sedentary behaviors. A research agenda required for this emerging field should include the development of more relevant conceptual models, measuring domain-specific sedentary behavior objectively, examining environments in close vicinity of and a larger area around home, and the use of prospective designs.

Keywords: Leisure; Sitting time; Transportation; Urban design.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Environment Design*
Exercise
Health Behavior
Humans
Residence Characteristics*
Sedentary Behavior*
Urban Population
Walking