The Relationship between Physical Activity and the Objectively-Measured Built Environment in Low- and High-Income South African Communities

There is limited data concerning the built environment and physical activity (PA) in a country with a history of sociopolitically motivated, spatial and economic disparities. We explored the extent to which objectively measured attributes of the built environment were associated with self-report or...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2021-04, Vol.18 (8), p.3853
Main Authors: Isiagi, Moses, Okop, Kufre Joseph, Lambert, Estelle Victoria
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Apartheid
Blood pressure
Body mass index
Built environment
Exercise
Households
Intersections
Low income groups
Neighborhoods
Physical activity
Socioeconomic factors
Socioeconomics
Suburban areas
Suburbs
Urban environments
Walking
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Summary:There is limited data concerning the built environment and physical activity (PA) in a country with a history of sociopolitically motivated, spatial and economic disparities. We explored the extent to which objectively measured attributes of the built environment were associated with self-report or device-measured PA in low- and high-socioeconomic status (SES) communities. In a convenient sample of residents ( = 52, aged 18-65 years) from four urban suburbs in low- and high-income settings near Cape Town, South Africa, self-reported transport- and leisure-time PA, and device-measured moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) data were collected. Built environment constructs derived from individual-level street network measures (1000 m buffer, ArcGIS, 10.51) were obtained. We assessed PA between four groups, based on income and GIS walkability (derived by a median split, low or high SES and low or high walkable). No relationships between self-reported MVPA and GIS-measured walkability were found. Only intersection density was significantly, inversely associated with moderate and total MVPA (rho = -0.29 and rho = -0.31, respectively, < 0.05). In the high SES group, vigorous PA was inversely associated with intersection density (rho = -0.39, < 0.05). Self-report transport PA differed between groups ( < 0.013). Results suggest that the construct of walkability may relate to volitional (leisure) and utilitarian (transport) PA differently, in highly inequitable settings.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph18083853