Greater levels of physical activity relate to obesity prevention and reduced risk of some cancers, heart disease and diabetes. A growing number of correlational studies demonstrate how physical activity and obesity relate to active living community design features, such as walkable neighborhoods and active transportation opportunities including light rail stops, bike paths, and multi-use trails. Yet few prospective studies exist to document health effects of natural interventions in neighborhoods receiving physical changes supportive of healthy physical activity. This study takes advantage of a rare opportunity to conduct a quasi-experimental study in a neighborhood before and after a particularly rich natural intervention creates a """"""""Complete Street"""""""" with a new rail line, a bike path, and a multi-use trail. Complete Streets are increasingly popular designs intended to support transportation by modes other than cars. We study the new Complete Streets both by direct observation and through the experiences of local residents. First, trained observers will count users of the Complete Street both pre- and post-construction of the Complete Street elements, with nearby streets serving as controls. Second, we compare residents living close to (intervention group) and far from (control group) the Complete Streets intervention before and after construction. Residents will be measured for BMI (height, weight), wear accelerometers and GPS units for one- week pre- and post- Complete Streets construction and complete surveys for socioeconomic, attitudinal and behavioral data. We will also assess both macro environmental walkability for large areas of the neighborhood and micro environmental walkability for the routes to and along the Complete Street and nearby streets using secondary data and block by block audits by trained raters. These methods enable us to detail where and how much physical activity residents obtain and whether social, behavioral, and health-related changes are associated with the Complete Streets intervention. We examine effects at Time 1 (pre-construction), Time 2 (post-construction) and Time 3 (follow-up). We hypothesize several effects, net of controls: a) The Complete Street intervention relates to an increase in transit riders, cyclists, and pedestrians, compared to control streets from Time 1 to Times 2 and 3, according to structured observations. b) compared to living far, living close to the Complete Street intervention relates to bigger Time 1 to Time 2 increases in active use of the Complete Streets (e.g., walking, bicycling, as measured by GPS, accelerometry and self-report). c) Resident-perceived walkability and rated walkability relates to greater use of the Complete Street area, both cross sectionally and from Time 1 to Time 2 (according to surveys, environmental audits, and GIS indicators of walkability). A secondary analysis tests whether perceived crime dampens female use. d) Users of Complete Streets will demonstrate healthier changes in Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA from Time 1 to 2), BMI and obesity status (Times 1, 2, &3) compared to non-users.

Public Health Relevance

This project tests the idea that when communities are designed so that it is easy and safe for people to be more physically active in their everyday travel and use of the neighborhood, they will get more moderate intensity physical activity (""""""""if you build it, they will come""""""""), which will help them maintain a healthier weight. The study examines a road reconstruction that will provide a rich set of alternatives to attract many kinds of users: A light rail line, a bike path, and a multiuse trail. Participants will receive feedback on their objectively measured physical activity.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01CA157509-01
Application #
8079289
Study Section
Community Influences on Health Behavior (CIHB)
Program Officer
Mckinnon, Robin A
Project Start
2011-04-01
Project End
2016-03-31
Budget Start
2011-04-01
Budget End
2012-03-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2011
Total Cost
$621,169
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Utah
Department
Miscellaneous
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
009095365
City
Salt Lake City
State
UT
Country
United States
Zip Code
84112
Brown, Barbara B; Smith, Ken R (2017) Complex active travel bout motivations: Gender, place, and social context associations. J Transp Health 6:335-346
Tribby, Calvin P; Miller, Harvey J; Brown, Barbara B et al. (2017) Geographic regions for assessing built environmental correlates with walking trips: A comparison using different metrics and model designs. Health Place 45:1-9
Brown, Barbara B; Tharp, Doug; Smith, Ken R et al. (2017) Objectively measured active travel and uses of activity-friendly neighborhood resources: Does change in use relate to change in physical activity and BMI? Prev Med Rep 8:60-66
Jensen, Wyatt A; Brown, Barbara B; Smith, Ken R et al. (2017) Active Transportation on a Complete Street: Perceived and Audited Walkability Correlates. Int J Environ Res Public Health 14:
Brown, Barbara B; Smith, Ken R; Jensen, Wyatt A et al. (2017) Transit Rider Body Mass Index Before and After Completion of Street Light-Rail Line in Utah. Am J Public Health 107:1484-1486
Tribby, Calvin P; Miller, Harvey J; Brown, Barbara B et al. (2017) Analyzing Walking Route Choice through Built Environments using Random Forests and Discrete Choice Techniques. Environ Plan B Urban Anal City Sci 44:1145-1167
Jensen, Wyatt A; Stump, Tammy K; Brown, Barbara B et al. (2017) Walkability, complete streets, and gender: Who benefits most? Health Place 48:80-89
Rioux, Liliane; Werner, Carol M; Mokounkolo, Rene et al. (2016) Walking in Two French Neighborhoods: A Study of How Park Numbers and Locations Relate to Everyday Walking. J Environ Psychol 48:169-184
Brown, Barbara B; Smith, Ken R; Tharp, Doug et al. (2016) A Complete Street Intervention for Walking to Transit, Nontransit Walking, and Bicycling: A Quasi-Experimental Demonstration of Increased Use. J Phys Act Health 13:1210-1219
Tribby, Calvin P; Miller, Harvey J; Brown, Barbara B et al. (2016) Assessing Built Environment Walkability using Activity-Space Summary Measures. J Transp Land Use 9:187-207

Showing the most recent 10 out of 17 publications