IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0230454.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Built environment correlates of physical activity in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review

Author

Listed:
  • Sarah Elshahat
  • Michael O’Rorke
  • Deepti Adlakha

Abstract

Insufficient physical activity (PA) is the fourth major risk factor for many non-communicable diseases and premature mortality worldwide. Features of the built environment (BE) play a considerable role in determining population PA behaviors. The majority of evidence for PA-BE relationships comes from high-income countries and may not be generalizable to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aim to systematically review the literature and assess the associations between perceived and/or objective BE characteristics and PA domains in LMICs. This review adopted a systematic search strategy for English language articles published between January 2000 and June 2019 from four electronic databases—Medline, Embase, Web of Science and PubMed—adhering to the PRISMA guidelines. Studies addressing the associations between self-reported and/or objective BE and PA were only included if they were conducted in LMICs, according to the World Bank classification list. Articles investigating PA-BE relationships across any age groups were included, and all study designs were eligible, except for qualitative studies and reviews. Thirty-three studies were included for evidence synthesis. Cross-sectional studies were the most prevailing study design (97%), revealing a notable gap in longitudinal PA-BE research in LMICs. A majority of the BE factors were not associated with different PA domains while others (e.g., density, proximity to services, aesthetics) exhibited an inconsistent association. Land-use mix diversity was positively associated with transport PA and the presence of recreation facilities resulted in an increase in PA during leisure-time. Increased safety from crime at night consistently increased total PA and walking levels. Research exploring the associations between BE attributes and PA behaviors in LMICs appears to be limited and is primarily cross-sectional. Longitudinal research studies with objective measures are needed for inferring well-grounded PA-BE causal relationships and informing the design of evidence-based environmental interventions for increasing PA levels in LMICs.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah Elshahat & Michael O’Rorke & Deepti Adlakha, 2020. "Built environment correlates of physical activity in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(3), pages 1-19, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0230454
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230454
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0230454
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0230454&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0230454?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Downward, Paul & Rasciute, Simona, 2015. "Assessing the impact of the National Cycle Network and physical activity lifestyle on cycling behaviour in England," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 425-437.
    2. Gul, Yasmeen & Sultan, Zahid & Moeinaddini, Mehdi & Jokhio, Gul Ahmed, 2018. "The effects of physical activity facilities on vigorous physical activity in gated and non-gated neighborhoods," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 155-162.
    3. Silva, M. & Cashman, S. & Kunte, P. & Candib, L.M., 2012. "Improving population health through integration of primary care and public health: Providing access to physical activity for community health center patients," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 102(11), pages 56-61.
    4. Maria E Hermosillo-Gallardo & Russell Jago & Simon J Sebire, 2018. "Association between urbanicity and physical activity in Mexican adolescents: The use of a composite urbanicity measure," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(9), pages 1-16, September.
    5. Olabarria, Marta & Pérez, Katherine & Santamariña-Rubio, Elena & Novoa, Ana M, 2014. "Daily mobility patterns of an urban population and their relationship to overweight and obesity," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 165-171.
    6. Kaplan, Sigal & Manca, Francesco & Nielsen, Thomas Alexander Sick & Prato, Carlo Giacomo, 2015. "Intentions to use bike-sharing for holiday cycling: An application of the Theory of Planned Behavior," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 34-46.
    7. Jaana T Kari & Jaakko Pehkonen & Mirja Hirvensalo & Xiaolin Yang & Nina Hutri-Kähönen & Olli T Raitakari & Tuija H Tammelin, 2015. "Income and Physical Activity among Adults: Evidence from Self-Reported and Pedometer-Based Physical Activity Measurements," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(8), pages 1-15, August.
    8. Karim W. F. Youssef, 2018. "The built environment and public health," Community Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(1), pages 121-122, January.
    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. Deepti Adlakha & Mina Chandra & Murali Krishna & Lee Smith & Mark A. Tully, 2021. "Designing Age-Friendly Communities: Exploring Qualitative Perspectives on Urban Green Spaces and Ageing in Two Indian Megacities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-12, February.
    2. Rafael Luciano de Mello & Adalberto Aparecido dos Santos Lopes & Rogério César Fermino, 2022. "Exposure to Public Open Spaces and Leisure-Time Physical Activity: An Analysis of Adults in Primary Health Care in Brazil," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-17, July.
    3. Feyisayo A. Wayas & Joanne A. Smith & Estelle V. Lambert & Natalie Guthrie-Dixon & Yves Wasnyo & Sacha West & Tolu Oni & Louise Foley, 2023. "Association of Perceived Neighbourhood Walkability with Self-Reported Physical Activity and Body Mass Index in South African Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-16, January.
    4. Martin Heine & Marelise Badenhorst & Chanel van Zyl & Gabriela Lima de Melo Ghisi & Abraham Samuel Babu & John Buckley & Pamela Serón & Karam Turk-Adawi & Wayne Derman, 2021. "Developing a Complex Understanding of Physical Activity in Cardiometabolic Disease from Low-to-Middle-Income Countries—A Qualitative Systematic Review with Meta-Synthesis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-18, November.
    5. Diego Sales & Victor Matsudo & Mauro Fisberg & Clemens Drenowatz & Adilson Marques & Gerson Ferrari, 2022. "Perception of the Neighborhood Environment, Physical Activity by Domain and Sitting Time in Brazilian Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-14, November.

    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. Peters, Luke & MacKenzie, Don, 2019. "The death and rebirth of bikesharing in Seattle: Implications for policy and system design," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 208-226.
    2. Jie Gao & Dick Ettema & Marco Helbich & Carlijn B. M. Kamphuis, 2019. "Travel mode attitudes, urban context, and demographics: do they interact differently for bicycle commuting and cycling for other purposes?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 46(6), pages 2441-2463, December.
    3. Wang, Xiaoquan & Yin, Chaoying & Zhang, Junyi & Shao, Chunfu & Wang, Shengyou, 2021. "Nonlinear effects of residential and workplace built environment on car dependence," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    4. Letizia Appolloni & Alberto Giretti & Maria Vittoria Corazza & Daniela D’Alessandro, 2020. "Walkable Urban Environments: An Ergonomic Approach of Evaluation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-31, October.
    5. Shon, Huijoo, 2024. "Urbanicity and child health in 26 sub-Saharan African countries: Settlement type and its association with mortality and morbidity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).
    6. Sunwoo Park & Hyejin Yoon & Chulmo Koo & Won Seok Lee, 2021. "Role of the Leisure Attributes of Shared Bicycles in Promoting Leisure Benefits and Quality of Life," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-11, January.
    7. Maria E Hermosillo-Gallardo & Russell Jago & Simon J Sebire, 2018. "Association between urbanicity and physical activity in Mexican adolescents: The use of a composite urbanicity measure," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(9), pages 1-16, September.
    8. Francesca Simeoni & Veronica De Crescenzo, 2018. "Ecomuseums (on Clean Energy), Cycle Tourism and Civic Crowdfunding: A New Match for Sustainability?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-16, March.
    9. Li, Shengxiao (Alex) & Duan, Hongyu (Anna) & Smith, Tony E. & Hu, Haoyu, 2021. "Time-varying accessibility to senior centers by public transit in Philadelphia," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 245-258.
    10. Adu-Gyamfi, Gibbson & Song, Huaming & Nketiah, Emmanuel & Obuobi, Bright & Adjei, Mavis & Cudjoe, Dan, 2022. "Determinants of adoption intention of battery swap technology for electric vehicles," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 251(C).
    11. S S M Silva & Madawa W Jayawardana & Denny Meyer, 2018. "Statistical methods to model and evaluate physical activity programs, using step counts: A systematic review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(11), pages 1-19, November.
    12. Kishore Bhoopalam, A. & van den Berg, R. & Agatz, N.A.H. & Chorus, C.G., 2021. "The long road to automated trucking: Insights from driver focus groups," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2021-003-LIS, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    13. Rith, Monorom & Fillone, Alexis M. & Biona, Jose Bienvenido Manuel M., 2020. "Energy and environmental benefits and policy implications for private passenger vehicles in an emerging metropolis of Southeast Asia – A case study of Metro Manila," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    14. Mitra, Suman & Yao, Mingqi & Ritchie, Stephen G., 2021. "Gender differences in elderly mobility in the United States," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 203-226.
    15. Liu, Zhengying & Kemperman, Astrid & Timmermans, Harry & Yang, Dongfeng, 2021. "Heterogeneity in physical activity participation of older adults: A latent class analysis," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    16. Jian-gang Shi & Hongyun Si & Guangdong Wu & Yangyue Su & Jing Lan, 2018. "Critical Factors to Achieve Dockless Bike-Sharing Sustainability in China: A Stakeholder-Oriented Network Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-16, June.
    17. Rith, Monorom & Fillone, Alexis & Biona, Jose Bienvenido M., 2019. "The impact of socioeconomic characteristics and land use patterns on household vehicle ownership and energy consumption in an urban area with insufficient public transport service – A case study of me," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 1-1.
    18. Lorea Mendiola & Pilar González, 2021. "Urban Development and Sustainable Mobility: A Spatial Analysis in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-23, February.
    19. Caulfield, Brian & O'Mahony, Margaret & Brazil, William & Weldon, Peter, 2017. "Examining usage patterns of a bike-sharing scheme in a medium sized city," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 152-161.
    20. Bianchi, Constanza & Milberg, Sandra & Cúneo, Andres, 2017. "Understanding travelers' intentions to visit a short versus long-haul emerging vacation destination: The case of Chile," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 312-324.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:plo:pone00:0230454. 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: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    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.