The independent relations of both residential self-selection and the environment to physical activity |
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| Authors: | Johanna Baar Matthias Romppel Ulrike Igel Elmar Brähler Gesine Grande |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Faculty of Architecture and Social Sciences, Leipzig University of Applied Sciences, Leipzig, Germany;2. Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany;3. Institute for Public Health and Nursing Research, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany;4. Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany;5. Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany |
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| Abstract: | Residential self-selection is supposed to bias the relation between residential environments and physical activity, but empirical analyses are still rare. This study examines the association while simultaneously considering the effect of residential self-selection criteria. One thousand two hundred and forty-five German students were asked to report their physical activity, their perceived environment, and their reasons for choosing their neighbourhood. Structural equation modelling was employed. Reasons for choosing a neighbourhood were related to actual environmental characteristics. Utilitarian reasons were related to less physical activity, hedonic reasons were related to higher physical activity. The street network was related to higher physical activity independent of residential self-selection. Our results support the weight of both individual preferences and the street network on physical activity. The residential environment has an impact on people’s amount of physical activity regardless of their reasons for choosing a neighbourhood and should therefore be considered a resource in health prevention and promotion. |
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| Keywords: | physical activity neighbourhood ecological effect residential self-selection |
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