Young Adult Environmental & Physical Activity and Diet Dynamics

The proposed study will focus on modifiable factors in the physical environment [i.e., community design features, recreation facilities (e.g., public, private), transportation options (e.g., public transportation), crime, and air pollution] that might contribute to the differential distribution of physical activity patterns. The proposed research makes a unique contribution through the innovative use of area-level data linked to individual data and the use of a multidisciplinary approach melding spatial analysis methodologies, such as Geographic Information Systems, with traditional epidemiological methods. The longitudinal nature of the data offers a unique advantage to answer many critical questions. We will look specifically at changes in environments over time (both environmental changes as well as individual movement) and the effect of these changes on physical activity behavior. The longitudinal data will allow us to look at the influences of environmental correlates over time and the effects of these correlates on adoption, maintenance, and extinction of both overall measures of physical activity patterns as well as measures of selected dimensions of activity such as walking patterns. Further we consider a critical methodological issue: self-selectivity of residential location choice, which is generally not accounted for, and can significantly compromise research on the relationship between environmental factors and physical activity behaviors.