PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Physical inactivity is a leading risk factor for obesity and cardiovascular disease across age groups. Numerous
studies across the lifespan have found cross-sectional associations indicating neighborhood environment
features (e.g., walkability) are favorably related to both physical activity and BMI/weight status. Though there
was evidence from prospective studies supporting what has been found in cross-sectional studies, important
gaps remain. Many prospective studies did not allow for interpretation of the magnitude of changes in
outcomes, have focused on a single age group, and included short durations of follow-up, precluding
examination of long-term impact of neighborhood environments on development of regular PA habits and
weight status across the lifespan. This proposed study addresses these limitations by efficiently leveraging
existing data from 5 existing NIH-funded studies to investigate prospective associations between neighborhood
environment features and physical activity in 4 age groups (children, adolescents, adults, and older adults). A
key innovation is the ability to examine similarities and differences in environment—health associations across
the lifespan. Each existing study involves cross-sectional data but the shared participants and measures
across studies allows for the investigation of long-term prospective associations over two assessment time
points 5-15 years apart. We will investigate in 1083 participants whether and how baseline neighborhood
environment features (using GIS-based and reported measures) and changes in reported neighborhood
environment features over time relate to changes in participants’ accelerometer-derived total physical activity,
self-reported physical activity for transport and leisure, and weight status. The GIS-based measures are based
on best practices in neighborhood walkability research and include residential density, land use mix, street
connectivity, retail floor area ration, and a walkability index, as well as park density (playability) and transit
density (transitability). The self-report measures capture additional widely used constructs such as pedestrian
facilities, crime safety, traffic safety, and aesthetics. The age groups captured involve critical transition time
points (e.g., into adolescence, young adulthood, and retirement) when understanding predictors of changes in
physical activity are particularly important. The analytic approaches used will identify whether associations
differ across age groups, sex, race/ethnicity, and education status. The findings will be critical in strengthening
the evidence base on neighborhood environment impacts on health to better guide policy and practice around
cardiovascular disease prevention and control. Results will be widely communicated to researchers as well as
practice and policy audiences.
