Children's active transportation: Environmental correlates and new methods of measurement

Thesis carries out a series of studies to ascertain the relationship between environmental characteristics and children's active transporation to school and to refine the measurement of active transportation

GIS or GPS? : a comparison of two methods for assessing route taken during active transport

Introduction: Current methods of assessing routes taken during active transport rely on subjective recall of trip length and barriers encountered enroute or the utilization of objective measures Geographic Information Systems [GIS]) that may not represent actual travel patterns. This study examined the utility of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to measure actual routes taken compared with GIS-estimated travel distance and barriers encountered. Methods: Comparisons between GPS and GIS routes were performed for 59 of 75 children who wore a GPS during the journey to school on a single occasion. Home and school addresses were reported by parents and geocoded in GIS. Children were provided with a GPS and were instructed to travel their normal route to and from school. Data were collected between March and November 2005 and exported to the GIS to determine travel distance, number of busy streets crossed, and the ratio of busy streets to the total streets traveled on. Data analysis was performed in August 2006. Results: No differences were observed between GPS- easured journeys to and from school on anyof the examined variables. No differences were observed between GIS and GPS measures of travel distance (p0.05). GIS-estimated travel routes crossed a significantly (p0.05) higher number of busy streets (GIS: 1.680.12 vs GPS: 1.190.11) and traveled on a higher ratio of busy streets to total streets traveled on (GIS: 0.460.03 vs GPS: 0.350.04)(p0.05) compared with GPS-measured actual travel routes. Conclusions: Geographic Information Systems provides estimates of travel distance similar to GPS measured actual travel distances. Travel routes estimated by GIS are not representative of actual routes measured by GPS, which indicates that GIS may not provide an accurate estimate of barriers encountered. The continued use of GPS in active transport research I nencouraged. (Am J Prev Med 2007; 33(1):5153) 2007 American Journal of Preventive Medicine

Personal and environmental influences of unhealthy weight gain in a regional community

Evidence is accumulating demonstrating how the environments in which we live influence our choices to engage in physically active lifestyles, however, little research exists identifying the link between unhealthy weight gain and local urban environments. This study examines the association between self-report and GIS-derived measures of the local neighbourhood and the likelihood of being overweight or obese. Selfreport measures of activity level, television viewing and the environment were acquired by telephone survey (N = 1281) of the Rockhampton population. Activity level was determined using the Active Australia questionnaire; self-report measures of the environment were derived from social-ecological models and administered within the CATI survey performed in October 2001. Euclidian and street network distances were determined using GIS from the CATI respondent's homes to the most proximate busy street, newsagents, stores and public open spaces. Results from logistic regression revealed that when adjusting for age, gender, education level and activity level perceiving the neighbourhood to be safe to walk in was positively associated (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.05-2.62) with the likelihood of being overweight. When adjusting for the identified variables, people who reported seeing people walking in the neighbourhood (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.27-0.93), and perceived the footpaths to be in good condition (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.47-0.99) were less likely to be obese. People agreeing that there were busy streets to cross when walking were more likely to be obese (OR.1.54, 95% CI 1.03-2.29) than those who did not agree with this statement. These findings suggest that various characteristics of the environment influence unhealthy weight gain, some of which can be modified. The authors acknowledgethe support of Queensland Health in the completion of this project

The effect of changes to question order on the prevalence of 'sufficient' physical activity in an Australian Population Survey

BACKGROUND: Population surveys are frequently used to assess prevalence, correlates and health benefits of physical activity. However non-sampling errors, such as question order effects, in surveys may lead to imprecision in self reported physical activity. This study examined the impact of modified question order in a commonly used physical activity questionnaire on the prevalence of sufficient physical activity. METHODS: Data were obtained from a telephone survey of adults living in Queensland, Australia. A total of 1243 adults participated in the computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) survey conducted in July 2008 which included the Active Australia Questionnaire (AAQ) presented in traditional or modified order. Binary logistic regression analyses was used to examine relationships between question order and physical activity outcomes. RESULTS: Significant relationships were found between question order and sufficient activity, recreational walking, moderate activity, vigorous activity and total activity. Respondents who received the AAQ in modified order were more likely to be categorised as sufficiently active (OR=1.28, 95% C.I. 1.01-1.60). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of question order on estimates of self reported physical activity. This study has shown that changes in question order can lead to an increase in the proportion of participants classified as sufficiently active

Perceptions of air pollution during the work-related commute by adults in Queensland, Australia

Background: This study examines perceived health effect risks from air pollution during the work-related commute by socio-demographic and travel mode variables. Methods: Population-representative survey data were collected by telephone from 745 adults from Queensland, Australia. Variables assessed included socio-demographics, usual work travel mode, commute perceptions, and perceived health effects associated with air pollution during the work-related commute. Results: Approximately 45% of the sample perceived air pollution negatively affected health outcomes when commuting to/from work, yet only 13% recognised air pollution as a major barrier to walking or cycling to/from work. No relationships existed between usual travel mode to/from work and perceived health risks associated with air pollution. Those higher educated or living in major cities were more likely to recognise air pollution harmed their health during their work-related commute when compared to respective referent categories (p< 0.05). Conclusions: Recognition of health risks from air pollution during the work-related commute was high, and awareness did not differ by travel mode. For the majority, air pollution was not a primary barrier for walking or cycling to/from work

Quantitative analysis of sport development event legacy : an examination of the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships

Research question: This study explores whether the conduct of an unleveraged major event, the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships, leaves a legacy in terms of making a contribution towards the ongoing sport development of surf life-saving. This is an area of event legacy research that has received little empirical research. Research methods: Secondary data sources from the event host organisation were used as indicators of sport development. Regression analysis, adjusting for changes in the outcome variable outside of the host location (Perth, Western Australia), was used to identify if hosting the event was associated with changes in indicators of attracting, retention and nurturing of sport members in the host location. Results and findings: The only significant adjusted results were a decrease in membership for the host club and an increase in competitor numbers for Western Australia and the Perth metropolitan area, suggesting hosting the event offered some retention and nurturing opportunities for sport development. Implications: This study contributes to sport event legacy literature through examining a non-mega, single sport event and its effects on sport development and suggests that hosting the event only had a limited effect on indicators of sport development. The study uses a regression analysis method that could be used to examine legacy from other events

Psychosocial and environmental factors associated with physical activity among city dwellers in regional Queensland

Background. Research has recently adopted the use of social–ecological models in the study of physical activity. Few studies, however, have addressed the influence of the environment on activity using Geographic Information System (GIS)-derived measures of environmental attributes and self-report ratings of other environmental attributes. Even fewer have examined walking behaviors. Methods. Self-report measures of physical activity, social support, self-efficacy, and perceived neighborhood environment were obtained by means of a Computer-Assisted-Telephone-Interview (CATI) survey of 1,281 residents of Rockhampton, Queensland. Over 94% (1,215) of respondents’ residential locations were successfully geocoded into the existing city council GIS database. The self-report data, along with GIS-derived measures, were used to determine the relationships among selected variables of the neighborhood environment for each geocoded location. Results. GIS-derived measures of street connectivity and proximity to parkland, the number of active people in a 1-km radius, and self-reported perceptions of neighborhood cleanliness showed associations with the likelihood of achieving sufficient levels of physical activity when adjusting for selected psychosocial variables. GIS-derived Euclidian distance to footpath networks, number of dogs in 0.8-km radius, network distance to newsagents, and perceptions of footpath condition were significantly associated with the likelihood of participating in any recreational walking. Conclusion. Environmental characteristics were found to have differential influences on the two selected measures of physical activity. Aesthetics and safety appear to be important influences of physical activity, whereas proximal footpaths showed increased likelihood of participation in recreational walking. It is proposed that the strength of association between the environmental and physical activity may be improved if future research utilizes a Geographic Information System approach to the study of restricted geographical areas

Geographical location and sunburn in Queensland adults

The rate of melanoma diagnosis in Queensland is higher than than in any other geographical location in the world.1 In turn, geographical areas outside of major metropolitan regions in Australia have an increased number of excess deaths as a result of melanoma compared with metropolitan areas.2 The higher number of excess deaths (difference in actual deaths in an area/number of deaths in metropolitan areas) caused by melanoma in non-metropolitan areas2 may be the result of these populations being exposed to higher concentrations of excess sunlight, a known cause of skin cancer. An acutely observable outcome of excess sunlight exposure is sunburn, which is a risk factor for skin cancer development and frequent burning of the skin is a risk factor for the development of basal cell carcinoma.3 The current study aims to examine differences in the incidence of sunburn by geographical location, and also the likelihood of sunburn by geographical location

Prevalence and correlates of resistance training in a regional Australian population

BACKGROUND: The core components of physical activity, cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, balance, and flexibility, can provide many health benefits and potentially slow declines associated with aging. National health authorities have widely promoted aerobic exercise message to the public, although the promotion of resistance training has received far less attention. OBJECTIVES: The primary aim of this research was to assess the prevalence of resistance training in a sample of adults living in regional Australia. DESIGN: A Computer -Assisted -Telephone-Interview (CATI) survey (n=1230) conducted by Population Research Laboratory at Central Queensland University performed a survey of Queensland adults in October-November 2006. Respondents were asked to report the frequency with which they engaged in resistance training. PARTICIPANTS: Respondents were 18 years of age or older that could be contacted by direct-dialled, land-based telephone service. A telephone database using a computer program to select, with replacement, a simple random sample of phone numbers selected respondents. RESULTS: Almost 14% of the population did some form of gym-based resistance training in the week prior to the survey. There was a significant (p<0.05) reduction in participation levels with age. Participation was highest amongst the youngest 18-34 year olds (23.8%) steadily declining with age to a low of 7% in the 55 years and older age group. There was no significant association between genders and participation in resistance training. CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore the need to increase overall education on the benefits of resistance training with an emphasis among targeted adult populations to increase participation in resistance training

Individual characteristics associated with physical activity intervention delivery mode preferences among adults

Background: People have different preferences on how health behaviour change interventions are delivered to them; intervention implementation, retention and effectiveness may be improved if preferences can be matched. Purpose: This study aims to explore factors related to preference of face-to-face, and group-, print- or web-based physical activity intervention delivery modes among adults recruited from the general population. Methods: A question relating to physical activity intervention preference was included in the telephone administered 2010 Queensland Social Survey. Multinomial regression models were used to explore sociodemographic (e.g., age, marital status, location), health (e.g., BMI, chronic disease status) and behavioral factors (e.g., internet use, physical activity, diet, social networking) related to intervention preferences, using ‘a face-to-face intervention’ as the reference category. Results: 35.2% of those approached took part in the telephone interviews (n = 1,261). Preference for a web-based intervention was positively associated with being in the 35–44 age group (compared to the 18–34 age group; RR = 2.71), living in a rural area (RR = 2.01), and high internet use (RR = 1.03); and negatively associated with female gender (RR = 0.52), obesity (RR = 0.42), and higher physical activity participation (RR = 0.99). Preference for a print-based intervention was positively associated with older age (RR = 5.50); and negatively associated with female gender (RR = 0.48) and obesity (RR = 0.47). Preference for a group-based program was positively associated with living in a regional town (RR = 1.48) and negatively associated with being separated (RR = 0.45) and obesity (RR =0.56). Conclusion: Findings from this study help to delineate what physical activity intervention delivery modes are likely to be appealing for specific target groups, especially in relation to people of different weight status, age, gender and living environment. As such, this information will be useful in the development of interventions targeted at these groups