Physical Environment and Physical Activity Preliminary Results from the Finnish Regional Health and Welfare Study 29.3.2012 Nordic Behavioral Medicine

Nordic Behavioral Medicine Symposium / Tomi Mäkinen

Physical Environment and Physical Activity

Preliminary Results from the Finnish Regional Health and Welfare Study

29.3.2012

Tomi Mäkinen, PhD

Senior researcher

Population Health Research Unit


Adaption of Socioecological Model for Physical Activity among Adults

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PERSONALAge, Health, Skills,

Preferences, Motivation, SEP

SOCIAL/CULTURAL

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

Social support (family and friends)

Ethnicity/Cultural norms

MACRO LEVEL /PUBLIC POLICY

Time Constraints

(work, family)

Design (streets, parks,

facilities etc)

Connectivity(streets,

sidewalks, bicycle-lanes)

Proximity(density, land

use mix, access)

Policies

Regulations

Laws

International

Local

TaxationUrban planning

National

Life-course & selection

Distance: (home to work, to

recreation)

29.3.2012 Nordic Behavioral Medicine Symposium / Tomi Mäkinen

Sociodemographic, Social and Physical environment determinants for walking and cycling among Adults

PERSONALAge(-), Health(+),

Skills(+), Preferences(+),

Motivation(+), SEP(+)

SOCIAL/CULTURAL

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

Social support from family and friends (+)

Ethnicity/Cultural

norms (-)Time

Constraints(-)

Design: Streets (0), Parks/open space (0),

Lightning (0),Safety (0)

Connectivity:Streets (+),

sidewalks (+), bicycle-lanes (+)

Proximity: Density (+),land use mix

(+), access (+)

Wendel-Vos et al Obesity 2007

Trost et al MSSE 2002

McCormack et al IJBNPA 2011

Saelens et al MSSE 2008

0 = inconsistent- = negative+ = positive,

Social participation (+)

Distance :Work-home (?),

to recreational area (+),

Self-selection


Our aims are:

29.3.2012

a) How social and physical environment are associated with physical activity (e.g. cycling and walking)?

b) Are there area-level and neighborhood-level inequalities in physical activity?

c) Can these inequalities be explained with social and physical environments?

Nordic Behavioral Medicine Symposium / Tomi Mäkinen29.3.2012

Preliminary results from:

29.3.2012 Nordic Behavioral Medicine Symposium / Tomi Mäkinen

a) How social and physical environment are associated with commuting among women and men?

b) Are there area-level and neighborhood-level inequalities in physical activity?

c) Can these inequalities be explained with social and physical environments?


Our hypotheses were:

• Good walking and cycling infrastructure, green environment and physical activity facilities are positively associated with walking and cycling.

• Social support and other forms of social participation are positively associated with walking and cycling.

• There are area- and neighborhood-level inequalities in walking and cycling.

• These inequalities are mainly due to better physical and social environments in urban areas compared to semi-urban areas and rural areas.

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Materials and Methods• The Regional Health and Wellbeing Study (ATH)

– Cross-sectional, year 2010, Finns aged 20 years and over – Response rate varied from 55 to 65 %, – Conducted in year 2010 – Areas included

• Turku (n=9000), • The regions Kainuu (n=9000)• Northern Ostrobothnia (n=8000) • Random sample of Finnish continent (n=5000)

– Self-assessed physical environment and physical activity

• Statistical analyses and sample weight– preliminary results presented in unadjusted frequencies, Chi2-test

statistics for gender differences. Regression and spatial modelling to be done in the future.

– Weights used to take into account the sampling and make data representative for the whole population

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Northern Ostrobothnia, area 1

Research areas of ATH-Study in year 2010

Northern Ostrobothnia, area 2 Kainuu, area 1

Turku

Kainuu, area 2

Kainuu, area 3


Short statistics of the two areas examined:

TURKU (2010)• Population = 177 326• Tertiary education = 39,6 %• Total area, km2 = 306,4• www.turku.fi

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KAINUU (2010)

• Population = 83 160

• Tertiary education = 21,3%

• Total area, km2 = 24 453

• www.kainuu.fi

http://www.turku.fi/

http://www.kainuu.fi/


Physical environment, question I

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Physical Environment, question II


Physical Activity: Commuting Physical Activity (CPA)

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We examined CPA = over 30 minutes a day


Results I: Physical Environment and CPA among MEN

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Dangerous intersection and/or traffic routes

Slippery footpaths in winter

Poorly lit traffic routes/road and paths

Vandalism, crime or threat of same

Traffic noise, smell or dust

Industrial noise, smell or dust

Long distances to services (e.g. shops)

Poor public transport

Litter (a lot of waste)

Unattractive housing district

Satisfied with the safety of the area/neighbourhood

Satisfied with neighbours

Satisfied with the location of the dwelling

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

No

Yes, but does not bother me

Bothers me

*

*

*

*

* = statistically significant difference between inactive and active commuting


Results II: Physical Environment and CPA among WOMEN

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0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

No


Bothers me

**

**

*

**

*

*



Results III: physical environment and CPA in Turku














0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

No


Bothers me

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*

*

*

**

*

**



Results IV: Physical Environment and CPA in Regions of Kainuu














0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

No


Bothers me

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All are statistically significant!)


Preliminary results suggests that

• Physical environment is associated with CPA among men and women

• Both genders: Good infrastructure, Enjoyable environment

• Women: safety, satisfaction of the location• Turku: Enjoyable environment, good

infrastructure, safety • Regions of Kainuu: Enjoyable environment

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Limitations:

• Age and education distributions differ between gender and areas, and this might explain some of the observed associations between physical environment and CPA

• Commuting physical activity include both cycling and walking

• Association different in cycling and walking?• Elderly prefer walking over cycling

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Tack så mycket! Thank you! Kiitos!

• For the invitation to speak in the symposium!

• For the members of our research group: Heli Valkeinen, Esko Levälahti, Jukka Murto, Risto Kaikkonen, Susanna Raulio, Katja Borodulin and Ritva Prättälä

• For any further comments or interests, please don’t hesitate to contact by email:

Tomi Mäkinen, PhD (Public Health)

Senior researcher

Population Health Research Unit

National Institute for Health and Welfare

Helsinki, Finland

Phone: +358 20 610 8690

Email: tomi.makinen[at]thl.fi

29.3.2012

Documents

Physical Environment and Physical Activity Preliminary Results from the Finnish Regional Health and Welfare Study 29.3.2012 Nordic Behavioral Medicine