IMPACT OF LIGHT RAIL ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY & BMI

轻轨对身体活动的影响

基本信息

批准号：
7140565
负责人：
D J PETERSON
金额：
$ 18.61万
依托单位：
RAND CORPORATION
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
财政年份：
2005
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2005-09-01 至 2009-08-31
项目状态：
已结题

项目摘要

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant) There is growing optimism that adjusting the built environment can reverse the obesity trend through increased opportunities for physical activity and the reduced reliance on automobiles for basic transportation. The majority of research, however, on the influence of the built environment on health related outcomes have used cross-section designs. As a result, there is a limited amount of information on the causal impact of changes in the built environment on obesity levels. The proposed 24-month pilot study would provide a foundation for assessing the short-term causal influence of light rail mass transit on physical activity and obesity. The proposed study will consist of a natural experiment that examines the before and after effects of the introduction of a new light rail system in Charlotte, NC on obesity related factors. The specific aims of the proposed pilot study are: (a) to test the impact of light rail on the daily physical activity levels and BMI of riders; and (b) to assess whether the use of light rail transit leads to significant increases in physical activity and reductions in BMI of study participants who use light rail compared to similarly situated participants who do not use light rail transit. Through a two-wave longitudinal panel design of interviews with 1,000 household residents living within a mile radius of the soon-to-open light rail transit system the study will assess pre and post-levels of daily physical activity and BMI. A propensity score matching approach will be used to match light rail riders and non-riders on all relevant health, social, and economic factors. The results from the propensity score matching will be used to compare the physical activity and BMI levels over time of participants who use the light rail system with participants who do not use light rail transit. Results from the research will provide a causal test of the impact of light rail on obesity and the potential positive economic impacts of integrating public health objectives in transportation decision-making.

描述（由申请人提供）越来越乐观的是，调整建筑环境可以通过增加体育锻炼的机会以及对汽车基本运输的依赖的依赖来扭转肥胖趋势。然而，大多数研究对建筑环境对与健康相关结果的影响进行了横截面设计。结果，关于建筑环境变化对肥胖水平的因果影响的信息有限。拟议的24个月试点研究将为评估轻轨质量过境对体育活动和肥胖的短期因果影响提供基础。拟议的研究将由一个自然实验组成，该实验检查了北卡罗来纳州夏洛特引入新的轻轨系统对肥胖相关因素的前后影响。拟议的试点研究的具体目的是：（a）测试轻轨对骑手的日常体育锻炼水平和BMI的影响；（b）与不使用轻轨运输的同样位置的参与者相比，使用轻轨的使用轻轨的使用是否会显着增加体育锻炼和使用轻轨的研究参与者的BMI。通过两波纵向面板设计的访谈设计，与即将开放的轻轨运输系统一英里半径范围内的1000名家庭居民进行了研究，研究将评估每日体育活动和BMI的前后。倾向得分匹配方法将用于与所有相关健康，社会和经济因素的轻轨骑手和非骑手匹配。倾向分数匹配的结果将用于比较使用轻轨系统与不使用轻轨运输的参与者的参与者的体育活动和BMI水平。该研究的结果将对轻轨对肥胖症的影响以及将公共卫生目标整合到运输决策中的潜在积极经济影响提供因果检验。