Role of Built Environments on Physical Activity and Health Promotion: A Review and Policy Insights

Abstract

As urbanization and motorization continue worldwide, various health issues have emerged as a burden between individuals, families and governments at all levels. Under the prevalence of chronic disease, this review synthesizes research on the impact of the various built environments on the multiple health outcomes from a methodological and mechanistic perspective. Besides, it attempts to provide useful planning and policy implications to promote physical activity and health benefits. The finds show that: (1) Current literature has used a variety of dataset, methods, and models to examine the built environment–health benefit connections from the perspective of physical activity; (2) The prevalence of chronic diseases is inextricably linked to the built environment, and policy interventions related to physical activity and physical and mental wellbeing of urban residents should be emphasized; (3) The impact of the built environment on health is manifested in the way various elements of the physical environment guide the lifestyle of residents, thereby influencing physical activity and travel; (4) Given the changes that have occurred in the built environment during the current urban expansion, the link between urban planning and the public health sector should be strengthened in the future, and the relevant authorities should actively pursue policies that promote urban public health in order to improve the health of residents. Finally, it proposes potential policy insights for urban planning and development toward a healthier city and society.

An Evaluation of Community Health Workers’ Knowledge, Attitude and Personal Lifestyle Behaviour in Non-Communicable Disease Health Promotion and Their Association with Self-Efficacy and NCD-Risk Perception

“…Better-built environments in higher socioeconomic nations, such as sidewalks, bike paths, and parks, have encouraged physical activity by providing people with access to outdoor exercise spaces. This justification is also supported by previous studies in South Africa [52], China [53], and a systematic review in low-and middle-income countries [54].…”

Effects of green space on physical activity and body weight status among Chinese adults: a systematic review

“…Therefore, WHO and professional health agencies expect to develop active and effective intervention policies to help people improve their PA and adopt healthy weight. Available evidence suggests that environmental interventions can help people achieve a balanced lifestyle in their daily lives (13)(14)(15). In terms of PA, it can be done in an indoor environment or an outdoor environment.…”

Comprehensive Evaluation of Community Human Settlement Resilience and Spatial Characteristics Based on the Supply-demand Mismatch between Health Activities and Environment: A Case Study of Downtown Shanghai, China

“…There is a need to improve the level of resilience of the community human settlement as soon as possible. The reason for this result may be the serious urban growth, which has led to a series of problems such as urban water logging, traffic congestion and ecological environment damage [68][69][70], which in turn has led to a lack of endogenous development momentum for human health activities [71,72] and a positive trend in this element is the key to improving the resilience of the human settlement. The lack of health activities among residents, as the main body of community activities, makes it difficult to sustain endogenous development dynamics and this trend is not conducive to the stable development of community human settlement system [73,74].…”