Neighbourhood Built Characteristics and their Associations with Health-related Fitness in Adults

Health-related fitness is an important marker of overall health, linked to lower morbidity and mortality. Consistently, evidence associates the neighbourhood built environment with physical activity and with health outcomes. However, sparse evidence links the neighbourhood built environment and health-related fitness. Existing studies typically focussed on cardiorespiratory or morphological fitness, yet health-related fitness is multidimensional. It remains unclear whether neighbourhood built environments that support physical activity also promote or enhance health-related fitness. Evidence suggests there are sex differences in associations between the neighbourhood built environment and physical activity. Therefore, this thesis elucidates the associations between the neighbourhood built environment and components of health-related fitness among urban-dwelling adults stratified on sex. Our systematic review found the neighbourhood built environment was associated with health-related fitness in adults and that in some cases, these associations were independent of physical activity. A secondary analysis of national data found neighbourhood walkability was positively associated with cardiorespiratory fitness but negatively associated with muscular strength, while controlling for accelerometer-measured physical activity. This was followed by a secondary analysis of provincial data associated neighbourhood built characteristics (walkability and greenness) which included muscular strength and body composition, independent of self-reported physical activity and sedentary behaviour. This study found that neighbourhood walkability may support cardiorespiratory and morphological fitness, whereas neighbourhood greenness may positively impact muscular fitness. Relationships between the neighbourhood built environment and health-related fitness were similar for males and females. In summary, neighbourhood built environments that support physical activity might also promote health-related fitness.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Medicine – Community Health Sciences

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Graduate Studies

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Frehlich, Levi Colt

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• McCormack, Gavin Robert

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• McCormack, Gavin Robert
• Chowdhury, Tanvir Turin
• Doyle-Baker, Patricia Katherine
• Salvo, Deborah
• Dogra, Shilpa

Statement dc:rights

• University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/46834

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ucalgary.scholaris.ca:1880/119325