Frontiers in Public Health (Jul 2023)
Examining the impacts of public transit on healthy aging through a natural experiment: study protocols and lessons learned from the Active El Paso project
- Wei Li,
- Wei Li,
- Wei Li,
- Chanam Lee,
- Chanam Lee,
- Sinan Zhong,
- Sinan Zhong,
- Minjie Xu,
- Minjie Xu,
- Minjie Xu,
- Samuel D. Towne Jr,
- Samuel D. Towne Jr,
- Samuel D. Towne Jr,
- Samuel D. Towne Jr,
- Samuel D. Towne Jr,
- Xuemei Zhu,
- Xuemei Zhu,
- Sungmin Lee,
- Sungmin Lee,
- Suojin Wang,
- Rafael Aldrete,
- Eufemia B. Garcia,
- Leah Whigham,
- Ashley M. Toney,
- Jorge Ibarra,
- Jorge Ibarra,
- Marcia G. Ory,
- Marcia G. Ory
Affiliations
- Wei Li
- Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, School of Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Wei Li
- Center for Health Systems and Design, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Wei Li
- Center for Housing and Urban Development, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Chanam Lee
- Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, School of Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Chanam Lee
- Center for Health Systems and Design, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Sinan Zhong
- Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, School of Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Sinan Zhong
- Center for Health Systems and Design, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Minjie Xu
- Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, School of Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Minjie Xu
- Center for Health Systems and Design, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Minjie Xu
- Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Austin and El Paso, TX, United States
- Samuel D. Towne Jr
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Samuel D. Towne Jr
- School of Global Health Management and Informatics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States
- Samuel D. Towne Jr
- Disability, Aging, and Technology Cluster, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States
- Samuel D. Towne Jr
- Southwest Rural Health Research Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Samuel D. Towne Jr
- Center for Community Health and Aging, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Xuemei Zhu
- Center for Health Systems and Design, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Xuemei Zhu
- 0Department of Architecture, School of Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Sungmin Lee
- Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, School of Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Sungmin Lee
- Center for Health Systems and Design, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Suojin Wang
- 1Department of Statistics, College of Arts and Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Rafael Aldrete
- Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Austin and El Paso, TX, United States
- Eufemia B. Garcia
- 2Colonias Program, School of Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Leah Whigham
- 3Center for Community Health Impact and Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, El Paso, TX, United States
- Ashley M. Toney
- 3Center for Community Health Impact and Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, El Paso, TX, United States
- Jorge Ibarra
- Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, School of Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Jorge Ibarra
- Center for Health Systems and Design, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Marcia G. Ory
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Marcia G. Ory
- Center for Community Health and Aging, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1132190
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 11
Abstract
This paper describes protocols and experiences from a seven-year natural-experiment study in El Paso, Texas, a border city of predominantly Latino/Hispanic population. The study focuses on how Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) impacts physical activity and thus plays a role in alleviating obesity and related chronic diseases that impact healthy aging. Our protocols describe a longitudinal and case-comparison study, which compared residents exposed to new BRT stations with those who were not. This paper also introduces lessons and experiences to overcome the following challenges: delays in the BRT opening (the main intervention), the COVID-19 pandemic, methodological challenges, participant recruitment and retention, and predatory survey takers. Our transdisciplinary approach was pivotal in addressing these challenges. We also proposed and tested multi-level intervention strategies to reduce modifiable barriers to transit use. Our most important takeaway for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers is the importance of being flexible and ready to adapt to new circumstances. Future natural-experiment researchers need to become more versatile in an increasingly volatile and uncertain world.
Keywords
