Prioritizing a research agenda on built environments and physical activity: a Delphi consensus process

Abstract Overview

Background: The growth of urban dwelling populations globally has led to rapid increases of research and policy initiatives addressing associations between the built environment and physical activity (PA). Given this rapid proliferation, it is important to identify priority areas and research questions for moving the field forward.
Purpose: To identify and compare research priorities on the built environment and PA among researchers and knowledge users (e.g., policy makers, practitioners).
Methods: Between September 2022 and April 2023, a three-round, modified Delphi survey was conducted among two independent panels of international researchers (n = 38) and knowledge users (n = 23) to identify similarities and differences in perceived research priorities on the built environment and PA and generate twin ‘top 10’ lists of the most important research needs.
Results: From a broad range of self-identified issues, both panels ranked in common the most pressing research priorities including stronger study designs such as natural experiments, research that examines inequalities and inequities, establishing the cost effectiveness of interventions, safety and injuries related to engagement in active transportation (AT), and considerations for climate change and climate adaptation. Additional priorities identified by researchers included: implementation science, research that incorporates Indigenous perspectives, land-use policies, built environments that support active aging, and participatory research. Additional priorities identified by knowledge users included: built environments and PA among people living with disabilities and a need for national data on trip chaining, multi-modal travel, and non-work or school-related AT.
Conclusions: Five common research priorities between the two groups emerged, including (1) to better understand causality, (2) interactions with the natural environment, (3) economic evaluations, (4) social disparities, and (5) preventable AT-related injuries.
Practical implications: The findings may help set directions for future research, interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaborations, and funding opportunities.
Funding: none

Additional Authors

Name: Justin Lang

Affiliation: Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada

Presenting Author: no

Name: Margaret de Groh

Affiliation: Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada

Presenting Author: no

Name: Hannah Badland

Affiliation: Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University

Presenting Author: no

Name: Anthony Barnett

Affiliation: Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University

Presenting Author: no

Name: Lori Baugh Littlejohns

Affiliation: School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia

Presenting Author: no

Name: Nicholas Brandon

Affiliation: Peel Public Health, Region of Peel

Presenting Author: no

Name: Gregory Butler

Affiliation: Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada

Presenting Author: no

Name: Géna Casu

Affiliation: Association pour la santé publique du Québec (ASPQ)

Presenting Author: no

Name: Ester Cerin

Affiliation: Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University

Presenting Author: no

Name: Rachel Colley

Affiliation: Health Analysis Division, Statistics Canada

Presenting Author: no

Name: Louise de Lannoy

Affiliation: Outdoor Play Canada

Presenting Author: no

Name: Iryna Demchenko

Affiliation: Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute

Presenting Author: no

Name: Holly Ellingwood

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Carleton University

Presenting Author: no

Name: Kelly Everson

Affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Presenting Author: no

Name: Guy Faulkner

Affiliation: School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia

Presenting Author: no

Name: Liraz Fridman

Affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto

Presenting Author: no

Name: Christine Friedenreich

Affiliation: Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Cancer Care Alberta

Presenting Author: no

Name: Daniel Fuller

Affiliation: Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan

Presenting Author: no

Name: Pamela Fuselli

Affiliation: Parachute

Presenting Author: no

Name: Lora Giangregorio

Affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, University of Waterloo

Presenting Author: no

Name: Neeru Gupta

Affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of New Brunswick

Presenting Author: no

Name: Adriano Hino

Affiliation: Health Sciences Graduate Program, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná

Presenting Author: no

Name: Clare Hume

Affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Adelaide

Presenting Author: no

Name: Birgit Isernhagen

Affiliation: Ottawa Public Health

Presenting Author: no

Name: Bin Jalaudin

Affiliation: School of Population Health, University of New South Wales

Presenting Author: no

Name: Jeroen Lakerveld

Affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Presenting Author: no

Name: Richard Larouche

Affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge

Presenting Author: no

Name: Stephenie Lemon

Affiliation: Prevention Research Center, UMass Chan Medical School

Presenting Author: no

Name: Constantinos Loucaides

Affiliation: Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth, Nicosia, Cyprus

Presenting Author: no

Name: Jay Maddock

Affiliation: School of Public Health, Texas A&M University

Presenting Author: no

Name: Gavin McCormack

Affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary

Presenting Author: no

Name: Aman Mehta

Affiliation: Maroondah City Council, Victoria, Australia

Presenting Author: no

Name: Karen Milton

Affiliation: Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia

Presenting Author: no

Name: Jorge Mota

Affiliation: Research Center in Physical Activity, health and Leisure (CIAFEL)-Faculty of Sports-University of Porto (FADEUP) and Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), Porto, Portugal

Presenting Author: no

Name: Victor Ngo

Affiliation: Canadian Institute of Planners

Presenting Author: no

Name: Neville Owen

Affiliation: Swinburne University of Technology

Presenting Author: no

Name: Adewale Oyeyemi

Affiliation: College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University

Presenting Author: no

Name: António Palmeira

Affiliation: CIDEFES, Universidade Lusófona, Campo Grande, Lisboa, Portugal

Presenting Author: no

Name: Daniel Rainham

Affiliation: Healthy Populations Institute, Dalhousie University

Presenting Author: no

Name: Ryan Rhodes

Affiliation: School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, University of Victoria

Presenting Author: no

Name: Nicola Ridgers

Affiliation: Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia

Presenting Author: no

Name: Inge Roosendaal

Affiliation: Ottawa Public Health

Presenting Author: no

Name: Dori Rosenberg

Affiliation: Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute

Presenting Author: no

Name: Jasper Schipperijn

Affiliation: Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark

Presenting Author: no

Name: Sandra Slater

Affiliation: Bachelor of Science in Public Health Program, School of Pharmacy, Concordia University Wisconsin

Presenting Author: no

Name: Kate Storey

Affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Alberta

Presenting Author: no

Name: Mark Tremblay

Affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa

Presenting Author: no

Name: Mark Tully

Affiliation: School of Medicine, Ulster University

Presenting Author: no

Name: Leigh Vanderloo

Affiliation: ParticipACTION

Presenting Author: no

Name: Jenny Veitch

Affiliation: Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University

Presenting Author: no

Name: Christina Vietinghoff

Affiliation: Infrastructure Canada

Presenting Author: no

Name: Stephen Whiting

Affiliation: World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe

Presenting Author: no

Name: Meghan Winters

Affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University

Presenting Author: no

Name: Linchuan Yang

Affiliation: Department of Urban and Rural Planning, School of Architecture, Southwest Jiaotong University

Presenting Author: no

Name: Robert Geneau

Affiliation: Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada

Presenting Author: no

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Information

Study Type: Other

Subtheme: Other (please specify)

Subtheme other Title: Research gaps

Population Group: Not Applicable

Setting: Whole System

Submitting Author

Stephanie Prince

Research Scientist

Public Health Agency of Canada

Canada

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Prioritizing a research agenda on built environments and physical activity: a Delphi consensus process

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