Neighborhood environments and its influence on physical activity in Olomouc and neighboring villages

• Main Authors: Michal Kohout, Josef Mitáš
• Format: Article
• Language: ces
• Published: Palacký University Olomouc 2014-03-01
• Series: Tělesná Kultura
• Subjects: health; physical inactivity; walkability; ANEWS questionnaire
• Online Access: http://telesnakultura.upol.cz/artkey/tek-201402-0003_VLIV_PODMINEK_PROSTREDI_NA_POHYBOVOU_AKTIVITU_OBYVATEL_OLOMOUCE_A_PRILEHLYCH_OBCI.php

BACKGROUND: Modern society with development of new technologies greatly facilitates the activities of daily life and thus substantially eliminates human motion. This fact, together with a sedentary behavior is associated with considerable health risks, such as obesity, diabetes mellitus (type II), hypertension etc. A large part of the population is not aware of the negative consequences of physical inactivity, which may cause serious health problems. And this circumstance should be the main motivational factor to change lifestyle, including the environment. AIM: This study examines differences in the structure of physical activity in adults in Olomouc and neighboring villages within 15 km distance around Olomouc. The main objective was to determine how neighborhood environments affect physical activity of selected population groups. METHODS: All respondents were visited in person by authors and asked to participate in a research study using a Czech version of the questionnaire ANEWS. Data collection was carried out in May and June 2012 and data were obtained from 43 respondents aged 24-61 living in Olomouc and neighboring. RESULTS: The results showed that residents of urban areas are more physically active than nonurban residents. In the active area residents with higher walkability were associated with higher physical activity in urban residents, while the rural residents indicated higher physical activity in lower walkability areas. We found a significant difference in energy expenditure among respondents living in areas with higher and lower walkability in favor of the more walkable areas [H (1, 43) = 26.184, p ≤ .000)]. CONCLUSIONS: Highest levels of physical activity represent men living in single-family houses and women living in multiple family houses. Participating respondents most frequently engaged in moderate physical activities. They spent more time sitting during work than sitting outside the workplace. Most frequently used transportation was the car, followed by the walking and the least used form of transportation was bike. Highest total weekly energy expenditure during physical activity reached residents in low walkable rural areas, followed by residents of the low-walkable city areas; the third place belongs to residents of the city areas with higher walkability and the lowest energy expenditure per week exists in rural residents from the areas with higher walkability.