Starting down a NEWPATH Nutrition, Environment in Waterloo Region,Physical Activity, Transportation and Health

Andrew Devlin, University of British ColumbiaLeia Minaker, University of Alberta

1ACT Canada 2009 TDM Summit | Toronto ON | 15 November 2009

Outline

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1) Links between travel, built environment, and health and health behaviour outcomes.

1) Description of the NEWPATH project.

2) Perspectives on interdisciplinary project development.

3) Recommendations for various stakeholder groups on how to increase collaboration between departments and disciplines.

Links between Built Environment, Travel Choices, and Health

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= +

ENERGY OUT ENERGY INENERGY BALANCE

Some Unique Questions

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1. Do differences in the local built and food environment where people live predict their levels of physical activity? Diet? Obesity?

2. What are the relative effects of physical activity vs. diet in explaining obesity rates across demographic groups and built environment types?

3. Does proximity to different types of food outlets influence food purchasing patterns?

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Elements of

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Survey Data

Simple Survey (n = 1,400 households)

Complex Survey (n = 1,000 households)

•Two day travel/activity patterns

•Physical activity (self-reported)

•Food behaviour

•Residential preferences

•Neighbourhood perceptual data

•Socio-demographics (incl. height/weight to calculate BMI)

•Two day travel/activity patterns

•Physical activity (objectively measured w/ accelerometers)

•Dietary intake

•Food behaviour

•Residential preferences

•Neighbourhood perceptual data

•Socio-demographics (incl. height/weight to calculate BMI)

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Physical Activity

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Food Behaviour

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Walkability Surface

1-kilometer network buffer along pedestrian network (i.e. road, sidewalks, pathways)

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Walkability Surface

Street Connectivity: number of intersections per square kilometer

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Walkability Surface

FAR 0.5 Retail Density:• Ratio of retail building floor area to area of retail parcel, Floor Area Ratio (FAR)

Residential Density:• Net Residential Units per Acre

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Walkability Surface

Land Use Mix:

Entropy index describing the mix of land uses, based on 5 categories:•Single-family residential•Multi-family residential•Entertainment•Retail•Office

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Walkability Surface

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Low Walkability

High Walkability

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Conceptual Framework

2.Lifestylepreferences

Residentiallocation,character, andtravel options

6.Availability andcost of builtenvironment

1.Demographiccharacteristics

and lifeexperiences

3.1.Preferredbuilt environment:

Travel systemLand use patternsDesign

4.Travel behaviorsFrequency,

distance,and mode

For occupation,leisure, and

chores

5. Distal outcomesEconomicHealth

a

c.2

d

3.2.Not preferredbuilt environment:

Travel systemLand use patternsDesign

b.2

c.1b.1

2.Lifestylepreferences

Residentiallocation,character, andtravel options

6.Availability andcost of builtenvironment

1.Demographiccharacteristics

and lifeexperiences

3.1.Preferredbuilt environment:

Travel systemLand use patternsDesign

4.Travel behaviorsFrequency,

distance,and mode

For occupation,leisure, and

chores

5. Distal outcomesEconomicHealth

a

c.2

d

3.2.Not preferredbuilt environment:

Travel systemLand use patternsDesign

b.2

c.1b.1

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The Research Team

Dr. Larry Frank (P.I.)Bombardier Chair in Sustainable Transportation,UBC

Dr. Kim RaineProfessor, Centre for HealthPromotion Studies, University of Alberta

Dr. Mary ThompsonCo-Director, SurveyResearch Centre,University of Waterloo

Dr. Roy CameronExecutive Director,Centre for Behavioural ResearchAnd Program Evaluation (CBRPE)

Pat FisherPublic Health Planner,Region of Waterloo

Research Associates• Leia Minaker, University of Alberta• Andrew Devlin, UBC

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• The project is the result of collaboration between municipal staff and academics

• Development of Regional Growth Management Strategy by Waterloo Region– Staff asked to identify and develop research

projects related to health and the built environment– One project assessed subjective walkability and

physical activity

The Partnership: Beginnings

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• Municipal staff contacted the Principal Investigator to develop a walkability index

• The NEWPATH project evolved and developed with substantial input from both the Region and academics– Municipal public health staff encouraged to work

collaboratively with colleagues in other departments to create implementation strategy

– Push from funders and academic institutions to increase inter/multi/trans-disciplinary research

The Partnership: Beginnings

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• Collaboration between municipal staff increases buy-in among Regional stakeholders

• Collaboration between researchers increases applicability of findings to an increased number of academic disciplines

Collaboration

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For practitioners:

• Develop relationships with local academic communities

• Be involved in every stage of the research, from the proposal through data collection to the analyses and knowledge transfer strategies

Recommendations

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For academics:

• Seek opportunities to partner with municipal or provincial government departments or agencies to increase knowledge transfer: – the exchange, synthesis and ethically-sound

application of knowledge - within a complex system of interactions among researchers and users - to accelerate the capture of the benefits of research for Canadians through improved health, more effective services and products, and a strengthened health care system (CIHR, 2004)

Recommendations

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For funders:

• Continue to require community partners for academic research.

• Identify common interests between academics and municipalities

Recommendations

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To increase public support for walkable communities:

• Increase public education about benefits of walkable communities: – Improved health behaviours (e.g., physical activity)– Improved health outcomes (e.g., lower obesity

rates)– Improved air quality (e.g., lower vehicle emissions)

• Increase access to walkable communities

Recommendations

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Within Waterloo Region• Findings can assist in creating tools and models to evaluate

potential health impacts associated with future development scenarios.

Within Scientific Community• Methodology advancement; increased knowledge base.

To National Audience• Partner with Smart Growth, Land Development, and

Transportation/TDM sectors to generalize and disseminate findings to other areas across Canada.

Website• http://www.act-trans.ubc.ca/

Knowledge Transfer

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DataCommunity Expertise

Needs

Methodological Expertise

Synergy Effective Knowledge

Transfer

Follow at

www.act-trans.ubc.ca

Research Funding and Sponsors

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