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Table 1 Summary of associations between built environmental attributes and physical activity among all studies (cross-sectional and quasi-experiments)

From: In search of causality: a systematic review of the relationship between the built environment and physical activity among adults

 

N total (studies)

Recreation

walking

Transportation walking

General walking

General

cycling

Combined walk/cycle

Moderate to vigorous PA*

Neighborhood characteristics

       

Street/pedestrian connectivity

5

o[48]

+[48]

o[57]/+[58]

 

+[47]

-[33]

Land use mix

6

o[45]

+[45]

+[44, 45]

+[45]

+[51, 60]

o[59]/+[54]

Recreation land use proximity

7

o[45]

o[45]

o[44]

+[45]

o[60]/-[51]

o[59]/+[34, 54]/-[34]

Non-recreational land use proximity

10

o[45, 48]

+[45]/-[45, 46, 48]

o[44]/-[58]

o[45]

o[47, 51, 60]

o[54, 59]

Transit proximity/access

5

  

o[39]/+[58]

 

+[47]

o[39, 42]/+[37]

Population/residential density

6

+[35]/-[35]

+[35]

+[57]

 

o[47]

o[33, 34, 59]

Employment/job density

5

  

o[57]/+[58]

 

o[47]

o[59]/-[33]

Aesthetics/variety/diversity

2

o[48]

o[48]

   

-[34]

Trails/pathways/cycle ways/sidewalk

5

  

o[31]/+[43]

/-[40, 41]

o[31, 41, 47]/

+[28, 43]/-[40]

 

o[40]/+[43]

/-[41]

Parks/public open space install or improvements

2

  

+[31]

o[31]

 

o[38]

Pedestrian/cyclist amenities (street furniture, lighting, shading)

3

o[48]

o[48]

+[30]

  

o[59]

Traffic-related

2

o[48]

+[48]

o[31]

o[31]

  

Aggregated neighborhood characteristics

       

Walkability/pedestrian index

4

o[29, 55]/+[50]

+[29, 50, 55]

+[57]

 

o[52]

+[55]

Neighborhood type (traditional, New urbanist)

5

+[53]

+[53]

+[32, 56]

 

+[49, 51]

 

Sprawl

1

  

o[36]

  

o[36]

  1. +: studies reporting statistically significant positive association between the environmental characteristic and physical activity.
  2. -: studies reporting statistically significant negative association between the environmental characteristic and physical activity.
  3. o: studies reporting no statistically significant association between the environmental characteristic and physical activity.
  4. Cross-sectional results that adjust for residential selection included only. Quasi-experimental studies: [28, 30, 31, 33–43].
  5. * Also included pedometer and accelerometer-determined physical activity and use of specific locations (i.e., parks or trails).