Associations between neighbourhood environmental factors and the uptake and effectiveness of a brief intervention to increase physical activity: findings from deprived urban communities in an English city
Authors: Goyder, E., Maheswaran, R., Read, S.
Journal: Medicine and Public Health Research Journal (MPHRJ), ISSN 1694-4593
Citation: MPHRJ 2(1), 2022-08-04.
DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdv213
Type: Original Research
Abstract
This study examined the associations between neighbourhood environmental factors and the uptake and effectiveness of a brief intervention to increase physical activity (BI) in deprived urban communities. Data were collected from 182 participants in a randomised controlled trial of a BI in Sheffield, UK. Participants were recruited from 24 neighbourhoods, chosen for their high levels of deprivation and low levels of physical activity. Environmental factors were assessed using a combination of geographic information systems (GIS) data and participant self-report. The uptake of the BI was defined as attending at least one BI session. Effectiveness was defined as an increase of at least 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week at 3-month follow-up. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between environmental factors and BI uptake and effectiveness, adjusting for individual-level covariates. Our findings suggest that neighbourhood environmental factors may be important determinants of both the uptake and effectiveness of physical activity interventions in deprived urban communities. Interventions may need to be tailored to the local environment to maximise their impact.
Keywords
neighbourhood environmental factors, physical activity, brief intervention, deprived communities, urban health inequalities
Full Text
This study examined the associations between neighbourhood environmental factors and the uptake and effectiveness of a brief intervention to increase physical activity (BI) in deprived urban communities. Data were collected from 182 participants in a randomised controlled trial of a BI in Sheffield, UK. Participants were recruited from 24 neighbourhoods, chosen for their high levels of deprivation and low levels of physical activity. Environmental factors were assessed using a combination of geographic information systems (GIS) data and participant self-report. The uptake of the BI was defined as attending at least one BI session. Effectiveness was defined as an increase of at least 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week at 3-month follow-up. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between environmental factors and BI uptake and effectiveness, adjusting for individual-level covariates. Our findings suggest that neighbourhood environmental factors may be important determinants of both the uptake and effectiveness of physical activity interventions in deprived urban communities. Interventions may need to be tailored to the local environment to maximise their impact.