IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v16y2019i13p2437-d246807.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Environmental and Motivational Determinants of Physical Activity among Canadian Inuit in the Arctic

Author

Listed:
  • Victor O. Akande

    (Department of Health Promotion, Maastricht University, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center+, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands)

  • Robert A.C. Ruiter

    (Department of Work & Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands)

  • Stef P.J. Kremers

    (Department of Health Promotion, Maastricht University, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center+, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands)

Abstract

Background: Canadian Inuit have transited from a physically active hunter-gatherer subsistence lifestyle into sedentary ways of life. The purpose of the current study was to measure physical activity levels among Nunavut Inuit adults, and explore the socio-cognitive and environmental factors influencing the number of steps taken per day. Method: Inuit and non-Inuit adults ( N = 272) in Nunavut participated in a seven-day pedometer study during summer and winter seasons. Participants were asked to complete the Neighbourhood Environmental Walkability Scale (NEWS) and Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-3). Data analyses included descriptive statistics, hierarchical linear regression, and tests of mediation effects. Results: Participants had limited to low activity at a rate of 5027 ± 1799 and 4186 ± 1446 steps per day, during summer and winter, respectively. There were no seasonal and age effects on the number of steps. Gender effects and community differences were observed. Perceived infrastructure and safety as well as land use mix diversity were found to be positive environmental correlates of steps taken, which were partially mediated by identified motivational regulation. Conclusion: Physical activity levels among Nunavut adults are generally low, but can be promoted by improving the external physical environment and internal motivational regulation.

Suggested Citation

  • Victor O. Akande & Robert A.C. Ruiter & Stef P.J. Kremers, 2019. "Environmental and Motivational Determinants of Physical Activity among Canadian Inuit in the Arctic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-14, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:13:p:2437-:d:246807
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/13/2437/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/13/2437/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Saelens, B.E. & Sallis, J.F. & Black, J.B. & Chen, D., 2003. "Neighborhood-Based Differences in Physical Activity: An Environment Scale Evaluation," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(9), pages 1552-1558.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Valkiria Amaya & Thibauld Moulaert & Luc Gwiazdzinski & Nicolas Vuillerme, 2022. "Assessing and Qualifying Neighborhood Walkability for Older Adults: Construction and Initial Testing of a Multivariate Spatial Accessibility Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-18, February.
    2. Antonio Garriga & Nuria Sempere-Rubio & María José Molina-Prados & Raquel Faubel, 2021. "Impact of Seasonality on Physical Activity: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-22, December.
    3. Victor O. Akande & Timothy O. Fawehinmi & Robert A.C. Ruiter & Stef P.J. Kremers, 2021. "Healthy Dietary Choices and Physical Activity Participation in the Canadian Arctic: Understanding Nunavut Inuit Perspectives on the Barriers and Enablers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-13, January.
    4. Fariba Kolahdooz & Se Lim Jang & Sarah Deck & David Ilkiw & Gertrude Omoro & Arja Rautio & Sami Pirkola & Helle Møller & Gary Ferguson & Birgitta Evengård & Lianne Mantla-Look & Debbie DeLancey & Andr, 2024. "A Scoping Review of the Current Knowledge of the Social Determinants of Health and Infectious Diseases (Specifically COVID-19, Tuberculosis, and H1N1 Influenza) in Canadian Arctic Indigenous Communiti," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(1), pages 1-24, December.
    5. Valkiria Amaya & Matthias Chardon & Helen Klein & Thibauld Moulaert & Nicolas Vuillerme, 2022. "What Do We Know about the Use of the Walk-along Method to Identify the Perceived Neighborhood Environment Correlates of Walking Activity in Healthy Older Adults: Methodological Considerations Related ," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-37, September.
    6. Iker Sáez & Josu Solabarrieta & Isabel Rubio, 2021. "Reasons for Sports-Based Physical Activity Dropouts in University Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-14, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Anura Amarasinghe & Gerard D'Souza & Cheryl Brown & Tatiana Borisova, 2006. "A Spatial Analysis of Obesity in West Virginia," Working Papers Working Paper 2006-13, Regional Research Institute, West Virginia University.
    2. Spielman, Seth E. & Yoo, Eun-hye, 2009. "The spatial dimensions of neighborhood effects," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1098-1105, March.
    3. Kevin Credit & Elizabeth Mack, 2019. "Place-making and performance: The impact of walkable built environments on business performance in Phoenix and Boston," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 46(2), pages 264-285, February.
    4. Mi Namgung & B. Elizabeth Mercado Gonzalez & Seungwoo Park, 2019. "The Role of Built Environment on Health of Older Adults in Korea: Obesity and Gender Differences," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-13, September.
    5. Eric T. H. Chan & Tim Schwanen & David Banister, 2021. "The role of perceived environment, neighbourhood characteristics, and attitudes in walking behaviour: evidence from a rapidly developing city in China," Transportation, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 431-454, February.
    6. McNeill, Lorna Haughton & Kreuter, Matthew W. & Subramanian, S.V., 2006. "Social Environment and Physical activity: A review of concepts and evidence," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(4), pages 1011-1022, August.
    7. Park, Sungjin, 2008. "Defining, Measuring, and Evaluating Path Walkability, and Testing Its Impacts on Transit Users’ Mode Choice and Walking Distance to the Station," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt0ct7c30p, University of California Transportation Center.
    8. Razieh Zandieh & Javier Martinez & Johannes Flacke & Phil Jones & Martin Van Maarseveen, 2016. "Older Adults’ Outdoor Walking: Inequalities in Neighbourhood Safety, Pedestrian Infrastructure and Aesthetics," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-24, November.
    9. Deepti Adlakha & J. Aaron Hipp & James F. Sallis & Ross C. Brownson, 2018. "Exploring Neighborhood Environments and Active Commuting in Chennai, India," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-15, August.
    10. Abbas Sheikh-Mohammad-Zadeh & Nicolas Saunier & E. O. D. Waygood, 2022. "Developing an Objective Framework to Evaluate Street Functions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-15, June.
    11. Alba Martínez-García & Eva María Trescastro-López & María Eugenia Galiana-Sánchez & Pamela Pereyra-Zamora, 2019. "Data Collection Instruments for Obesogenic Environments in Adults: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-27, April.
    12. Stephen Matthews & Daniel M. Parker, 2013. "Progress in Spatial Demography," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 28(10), pages 271-312.
    13. Alexandra Jiricka-Pürrer & Valeria Tadini & Boris Salak & Karolina Taczanowska & Andrzej Tucki & Giulio Senes, 2019. "Do Protected Areas Contribute to Health and Well-Being? A Cross-Cultural Comparison," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-18, April.
    14. Wyatt A. Jensen & Barbara B. Brown & Ken R. Smith & Simon C. Brewer & Jonathan W. Amburgey & Brett McIff, 2017. "Active Transportation on a Complete Street: Perceived and Audited Walkability Correlates," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-19, September.
    15. Nasar, Jack L. & Holloman, Christopher & Abdulkarim, Dina, 2015. "Street characteristics to encourage children to walk," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 62-70.
    16. Zidan Mao & Fangyu Liu & Ying Zhao, 2023. "Happy city for everyone: Generational differences in rural migrant workers’ leisure in urban China," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(16), pages 3252-3271, December.
    17. Mu-Fei He & Shu-Lin Shi & Ming-Yi He & Yan-Peng Leng & Shao-Yi Wang, 2021. "What Affects Older Adults’ Viewing Behaviors in Neighborhood Open Space: A Study in Hong Kong," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-16, March.
    18. Wilma L Zijlema & Bart Klijs & Ronald P Stolk & Judith G M Rosmalen, 2015. "(Un)Healthy in the City: Respiratory, Cardiometabolic and Mental Health Associated with Urbanity," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(12), pages 1-11, December.
    19. Sun, Bindong & Yan, Hong & Zhang, Tinglin, 2017. "Built environmental impacts on individual mode choice and BMI: Evidence from China," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 11-21.
    20. Lake Sagaris, 2015. "Lessons from 40 years of planning for cycle‐inclusion: Reflections from Santiago, Chile," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 39(1), pages 64-81, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:13:p:2437-:d:246807. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.