The effect of infrastructural changes in the built environment on physical activity, active transportation and sedentary behavior - A systematic review

N. E. H. Stappers*, D. H. H. Van Kann, D. Ettema, N. K. De Vries, S. P. J. Kremers

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal(Systematic) Review article peer-review

Abstract

This systematic review examined the effect of built environment infrastructural changes (BEICs) on physical activity (PA), active transportation (AT) and sedentary behavior (SB). A literature search resulted in nineteen eligible articles. On-and off-road bicycling and/or walking trails resulted in inconsistent effects on overall PA and walking, and in predominantly positive effects on bicycling. More extensive BEICs led to mixed results, with mainly non-significant effects. However, positive effects on bicycling were found for people living closer to BEICs. None of the studies assessed SB. Improved understanding of the potential of BEICs to increase PA levels and decrease SB at population level asks for more high-quality, in-depth research, that takes into account the broader system.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)135-149
Number of pages15
JournalHealth & Place
Volume53
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2018

Keywords

  • NATURAL EXPERIMENT
  • PROXIMATE RESIDENTS
  • RESEARCH AGENDA
  • PUBLIC-HEALTH
  • NEW-ORLEANS
  • OBESITY
  • WALKING
  • IMPACT
  • TIME
  • NEIGHBORHOOD

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