Browsing by Author "Nakaya, Tomoki"

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    Associations between the traditional and novel neighbourhood built environment metrics and weight status among Canadian men and women.
    (Springer : Canadian Public Health Association, 2020-06-08) Nichani, Vikram; Koohsari, Mohammad Javad; Oka, Koichiro; Nakaya, Tomoki; Shibata, Ai; Ishii, Kaori; Yasunaga, Akitomo; Turley, Liam; McCormack, Gavin R.
    Objectives: Neighbourhood characteristics can impact the health of residents. This study investigated associations between objectively-derived neighbourhood characteristics, including novel space syntax metrics, and self-reported body mass index (BMI) among Canadian men and women. Methods: Our study included survey data collected from a random cross-section of adults residing in Calgary, Alberta (n=1,718). The survey, conducted in 2007/2008, captured participant’s sociodemographic characteristics, health, and weight status (BMI). Participant’s household postal codes were geocoded and 1600m lined-based network buffers estimated. Using Geographical Information System, we estimated neighbourhood characteristics within each buffer including business destination density, street intersection density, sidewalk length, and population density. Using space syntax, we estimated street integration and walkability (street integration plus population density) within each buffer. Using adjusted regression models, we estimated associations between neighbourhood characteristics and BMI (continuous) and BMI categories (healthy weight versus overweight including obese). Gender-stratified analysis was also performed. Results: Business destination density was negatively associated with BMI and the odds of being overweight. Among men, street intersection density and sidewalk length were negatively associated with BMI and street intersection density, business destination density, street integration, and space syntax walkability were negatively associated with odds of being overweight. Among women, business destination density was negatively associated with BMI. Conclusion: Urban planning policies that impact neighbourhood design has the potential to influence weight among adults living in urban Canadian settings. Some characteristics may have a differential association with weight among men and women and should be considered in urban planning and in neighbourhood-focussed public health interventions.
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    Place attachment and walking behaviour: mediation by perceived neighbourhood walkability
    (Elsevier, 2023-07) Koohsari, Mohammad Javad; Yasunaga, Akitomo; Oka, Koichiro; Nakaya, Tomoki; Nagai, Yukari; McCormack, Gavin R.
    The environmental features of a location are important for facilitating people’s attachment to places. Attachment to particular places, such as residential neighbourhoods, may encourage people to adopt and maintain physical activity routines. Moreover, the ways in which people perceive the built features in their neighbourhood (e.g., walkability) may mediate the relations between place attachment and physical activity. Therefore, this exploratory study examined the associations between place attachment and neighbourhood-specific physical activity and explored the extent to which perceived neighbourhood walkability mediates these associations. The study included survey data from 1,800 adults living in Calgary, Canada. Place attachment (including identity and dependence), physical activity, and neighbourhood walkability were self-reported using validated tools. Linear and logistic regression models were applied to estimate the associations between variables. Mediation was assessed using structural equation modelling. Place attachment dimensions were significantly positively associated (p < 0.05) with weekly participation (odds) and time spent walking for transport and recreation. The associations between place attachment and walking for transport were also mediated by perceived neighbourhood walkability. Together, these findings emphasize the crucial role of place attachment, particularly human bonding and relationships with the neighbourhood environment (i.e., place attachment), in supporting physically active lifestyles.
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    Urban design and cardio-metabolic risk factors
    (Elsevier, 2023-05-19) Koohsari, Mohammad Javad; Oka, Koichiro; Nakaya, Tomoki; Vena, Jennifer; Williamson, Tyler; Quan, Hude; McCormack, Gavin R.
    Accumulating evidence suggests that the built environment may be associated with cardiovascular disease via its influence on health behaviours. The aim of this study was to estimate the associations between traditional and novel neighbourhood built environment metrics and clinically assessed cardio-metabolic risk factors among a sample of adults in Canada. A total of 7,171 participants from Alberta’s Tomorrow Project living in Alberta, Canada, were included. Cardio-metabolic risk factors were clinically measured. Two composite built environment metrics of traditional walkability and space syntax walkability were calculated. Among men, space syntax walkability was negatively associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure (b=-0.87, 95% CI - 1.43, -0.31 and b=-0.45, 95% CI -0.86, -0.04, respectively). Space syntax walkability was also associated with lower odds of overweight/obese among women and men (OR=0.93, 95% CI 0.87, 0.99 and OR=0.88, 95% CI 0.79, 0.97, respectively). No significant associations were observed between traditional walkability and cardiometabolic outcomes. This study showed that the novel built environment metric based on the space syntax theory was associated with some cardio-metabolic risk factors.
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    Workplace neighbourhood built environment and workers’ physically-active and sedentary behaviour: a systematic review of observational studies
    (2020-11-20) Lin, Chien-Yu; Koohsari, Mohammad J; Liao, Yung; Ishii, Kaori; Shibata, Ai; Nakaya, Tomoki; McCormack, Gavin R; Hadgraft, Nyssa; Owen, Neville; Oka, Koichiro
    Abstract Background Many desk-based workers can spend more than half of their working hours sitting, with low levels of physical activity. Workplace neighbourhood built environment may influence workers’ physical activities and sedentary behaviours on workdays. We reviewed and synthesised evidence from observational studies on associations of workplace neighbourhood attributes with domain-specific physical activity and sedentary behaviour and suggested research priorities for improving the quality of future relevant studies. Methods Published studies were obtained from nine databases (PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Scopus, Transport Research International Documentation, MEDLINE, Cochrane, Embase, and CINAHL) and crosschecked by Google Scholar. Observational studies with quantitative analyses estimating associations between workplace neighbourhood built environment attributes and workers’ physical activity or sedentary behaviour were included. Studies were restricted to those published in English language peer-reviewed journals from 2000 to 2019. Results A total of 55 studies and 455 instances of estimated associations were included. Most instances of potential associations of workplace neighbourhood built environment attributes with total or domain-specific (occupational, transport, and recreational) physical activity were non-significant. However, destination-related attributes (i.e., longer distances from workplace to home and access to car parking) were positively associated with transport-related sedentary behaviour (i.e., car driving). Conclusions The findings reinforce the case for urban design policies on designing mixed-use neighbourhoods where there are opportunities to live closer to workplaces and have access to a higher density of shops, services, and recreational facilities. Studies strengthening correspondence between the neighbourhood built environment attributes and behaviours are needed to identify and clarify potential relationships. Protocol registration The protocol of this systematic review was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) on 2 December 2019 (registration number: CRD42019137341 ).