Longitudinal impact of changes in the residential built environment on physical activity: Findings from the ENABLE London study

Christelle Clary, Daniel Lewis, Elizabeth Limb, Claire M Nightingale, Bina Ram, Alicja R Rudnicka, Duncan S Procter, Angie S Page, Ashley R Cooper, Anne Ellaway, Billie Giles-Corti, Peter H Whincup, Derek G Cook*, Christopher G Owen, Steven Cummins

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)
174 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background
We assessed whether the residential built environment was associated with physical activity (PA) differently on weekdays and weekends, and contributed to socio-economic differences in PA.
Methods
Measures of PA and walkability, park proximity and public transport accessibility were derived for baseline participants (n = 1,064) of the Examining Neighbourhood Activities in Built Living Environments in London (ENABLE London) Study. Multilevel-linear-regressions examined associations between weekend and weekday steps and Moderate to Vigorous PA (MVPA), residential built environment factors, and housing tenure status as a proxy for socio-economic position.
Results
A one-unit decrease in walkability was associated with 135 (95% CI [28; 242]) fewer steps and 1.2 (95% CI [0.3; 2.1]) fewer minutes of MVPA on weekend days, compared with little difference in steps and minutes of MVPA observed on weekdays. A 1km-increase in distance to the nearest local park was associated with 597 (95% CI [161; 1032]) more steps and 4.7 (95% CI [1.2; 8.2]) more minutes of MVPA on weekend days; 84 fewer steps (95% CI [-253;420]) and 0.3 fewer minutes of MVPA (95%CI [-2.3, 3.0]) on weekdays. Lower public transport accessibility was associated with increased steps on a weekday (767 steps, 95%CI [–13,1546]) compared with fewer steps on weekend days (608 fewer steps, 95% CI [–44, 1658]). None of the associations between built environment factors and PA on either weekend or weekdays were modified by socio-economic status. However, socio-economic differences in PA related moderately to socio-economic disparities in PA-promoting features of the residential neighbourhood.
Conclusions
The residential built environment is associated with PA differently at weekends and on weekdays, and contributes moderately to socio-economic differences in PA.
Original languageEnglish
Article numbere0237323
Number of pages20
JournalPLoS ONE
Volume15
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Sept 2020

Research Groups and Themes

  • SPS Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences

Keywords

  • longitudinal
  • built environment
  • physical activity
  • social inequalities
  • neighborhood walkability
  • park proximity
  • public transport accessibility
  • steps
  • MVPA

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