No abstract

Physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality, causing an estimated 3.3 million deaths worldwide. Characteristics of the built environment, including buildings, public spaces, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, transportation networks, parks, trails and green spaces can facilitate or constrain physical activity. However, objective study of built environment interventions on physical activity remains challenging due to methodological limitations and research gaps. Existing methods such as direct observations or surveys are time and labour intensive, and only provide a static, cross-sectional view of physical activity at a specific point in time. The aim of this study was to develop a novel method for objectively and inexpensively assessing how built environment changes may influence physical activity. We used a novel, unobtrusive method to capture real-time, in situ data from a convenience sample of 25 adults along a newly constructed urban greenway in an area of high deprivation in Belfast, UK. Walk/bike-along interviews were conducted with participants using a body-worn or bicycle-mounted portable digital video camera (GoPro HERO 3+ camera) to record their self-determined journeys along the greenway. This is the first study to demonstrate the feasibility of using wearable sensors to capture participants’ responses to the built environment in real-time during their walking and cycling journeys. These findings contribute to our understanding of the impact of real-world environmental interventions on physical activity and the importance of precise, accurate and objective measurements of environments where the activity occurs.

Physical inactivity is a risk factor for numerous chronic diseases, and a mounting global health problem. It is likely that the outdoor physical environment, together with social environmental factors, has a tendency to either promote or discourage physical activity, not least in cities and other urban areas. However, the evidence base on this is sparse, making it hard to identify the best policy interventions to make, at the local or city level. This study seeks to assess the impact of one such intervention, the Connswater Community Greenway CCG), in Belfast, in Northern Ireland, UK. To do that it uses innovative methodologies, ‘Walk-along’ and ‘Cycle-along’ that involve wearable sensors and video footages, to improve our understanding of the impact of the CCG on local residents. The findings suggest that four characteristics of the CCG affect people’s activity and the benefits that the CCG created. These are physical factors, social factors, policy factors and individual factors. Each of these has many elements, with different impacts on different people using the greenway.