Perceived and Objective Neighborhood Characteristics Associated With Physical Activity Among Asian Americans Residing in Philadelphia County

Abstract

Introduction: Physical activity is an important lifestyle behavior known to improve overall health as well as provide substantial reductions in the risk of chronic illnesses, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, hypertension, stroke, depression, and anxiety. The built environment that surrounds where individuals reside has substantial impacts on physical activity behavior. Neighborhood walkability and the availability of physical activity resources such as parks and facilities within neighborhoods serve as opportunities to engage in leisure-based physical activity and active transportation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether objective and perceived built environmental characteristics were associated with neighborhood physical activity levels among Asian Americans living in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Methods: Participants were recruited from July to December 2019. A Built Environment and Physical Activity questionnaire that included socio-demographics, the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS), and the Neighborhood Physical Activity Questionnaire (NPAQ) were administered in English, Mandarin, Korean, and Vietnamese. The Walk Score was obtained online for each participant’s address. Furthermore, proximity to parks and recreational facilities was measured using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to find the network distance to the nearest facility and park. Zero-inflated negative binomial regression models were used while controlling for the clustered sample design and for socio-demographic characteristics. Physical activity was generally examined with respect to active transportation, recreational walking/cycling, and overall physical activity. Additional analyses were also conducted to examine how perceived versus objective characteristics, and ethnic group differences explained the relationship between built environment predictors and meeting the physical activity guidelines. These findings were assessed through logistic regression models. Results: In research question 1, greater perceived neighborhood walkability was associated with an increased likelihood of engaging in recreational walking/cycling and overall physical activity, but not active transportation. When examining subscales separately, there were differences in which built environmental factors affected various physical activity domains. Physical barriers to walking and fewer cul-de-sacs predicted fewer hours of engaging in active transportation. Having fewer cul-de-sacs, more physical barriers and higher residential density predicted lower odds of engaging in active transportation. Greater perceived land-use mix, lower perceived crime, and having more cul-de-sacs predicted greater hours and lower odds of engaging in recreational walking/cycling. Greater perceived land use mix, aesthetics, more cul-de-sacs, and lower residential density were associated with greater weekly METs of physical activity and a greater likelihood of engaging in overall physical activity. In research question 2, ethnic identity moderated the relationship between perceived neighborhood walkability for active transportation and moderate-intensity physical activity but not overall physical activity. In research question 3, the Walk Score was not statistically significantly associated with various participation in physical activity domains. Lastly, results of research question 4 illustrated that longer driving time to the nearest park was associated with greater METs associated with MVPA and overall PA, and to a specialty exercise facility was linked to greater METs associated with walking and active transportation. Furthermore, a shorter walking time to a park was associated with less weekly METs of walking, active transportation, and overall PA, but greater odds of engaging in walking and active transportation. A greater walking time to the nearest specialty exercise facility was associated with greater active transportation and MVPA, but decreased odds of walking and active transportation. Greater driving or walking time/distance to the nearest gym/recreation center were not associated with any type of physical activity. Conclusions: This study illustrated that the built environment could enhance participation in various forms of physical activity among Asian Americans. Having wide and accessible destinations in one’s neighborhood, known as land-use mix, promotes overall physical activity. Furthermore, greater aesthetically pleasing environments and areas with cul-de-sacs can provide spaces to engage in various forms of physical activity. Perceived neighborhood walkability had a strong impact on physical activity behaviors in this population, while mixed evidence was found for the influence of Walk Score and proximity to parks and recreational facilities as predictors of physical activity. While this study provides unique findings among a predominantly Asian American immigrant population, study limitations and recommendations for research suggest future areas to investigate. Nevertheless, major findings can be used to inform environmental and policy strategies to maximize active transportation and recreational based physical activity in order to sustain the health of Asian-American immigrants living in urban areas.