Trends of Recent Research on Physical Activity and Environment

Abstract

    The purpose of this review article is to describe the background and trends of physical activity and environment studies in the health promotion area. Because environmental factors are expected to have a long-term and substantial impact on large population, the importance of environment as a determinant of physical activity is highlighted. Previous studies have developed questionnaires for evaluating perceived environment, examined objectively assessed environmental factors, and identified environmental attributes specific to certain behavior. More recently, longitudinal studies, intervention studies, studies examining moderators, and studies investigating the effects on various outcomes have been conducted. The importance of developing effective strategies for changing the neighborhood environment itself is pointed out.