Correlation between built environment and sedentary behavior: a review

Abstract

Reducing sedentary behavior has become a public health priority due to significantly increased prevalence of leisure-time sedentary behaviors among people; promoting physical activity and interrupting sedentary time are among common interventions on sedentary behaviors. The built environment, as one of determinants of sedentary behavior, is increasingly being investigated and relevant studies have indicated that environmental interventions on sedentary behavior may be a more cost-effective and appropriate approach; however, few studies have specified the extent and mechanism of a distinct built environment’s impact on sedentary behavior. In this review, we summarize researches on the association of characteristics of built environment with sedentary behavior, related measurement tools, and environmental interventions on sedentary behaviors to provide references to domestic studies in this field.

Keywords

• built environment
• environmental feature
• sedentary behavior
• physical activity