Increasing Physical Activity Through Environmental Changes

Tulane University: Prevention Research Center

Topics:
Community Health | Nutrition & Physical Activity for Adults | Nutrition & Physical Activity for Youth

Researchers will test a model to increase physical activity among residents in low income, inner-city neighborhoods. Center staff will train about 20 lay health advisors (LHAs) to conduct neighborhood assessments, health education programs, and recreational activities.

The LHAs will identify features of their neighborhoods that promote physical activity (such as parks, walking and biking trails, indoor activity space, and organized recreational programs) and features that limit residents’ physical activity (such as abandoned housing, poorly lit areas, high-traffic crosswalks, and areas known for illegal activity). The advisors will then conduct programs to motivate their neighbors to be physically active and encourage them to form partnerships with the city’s planning commission and local police departments to make neighborhood areas safe and available for physical activity for example, by converting vacant lots into places for outdoor recreation.

Researchers will evaluate physical activity levels of residents before and after the project and compare results with nonparticipating neighborhoods. They will also determine the environmental and social factors that promote increased physical activity among residents of inner-city neighborhoods.

Read story of prevention research for this project.

 

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