School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen's University Belfast BT9 5AG, UK.
Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management, Centre for Geospatial Analytics, Centre for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8004, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Aug 26;15(9):1840. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15091840.
Few studies assess built environment correlates of active commuting in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), but the different context could yield distinct findings. Policies and investments to promote active commuting remain under-developed in LMICs like India, which grapples with traffic congestion, lack of activity-supportive infrastructure, poor enforcement of traffic rules and regulations, air pollution, and overcrowding. This cross-sectional study investigated associations between home neighborhood environment characteristics and active commuting in Chennai, India. Adults (N = 370, 47.2% female, mean age =37.9 years) were recruited from 155 wards in the metropolitan area of Chennai in southern India between January and June 2015. Participants self-reported their usual mode of commute to work, with responses recoded into three categories: (1) multi-modal or active commuting (walking and bicycling; n = 56); (2) public transit (n = 52); and (3) private transport (n = 111). Environmental attributes around participants' homes were assessed using the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale for India (NEWS-India). Associations between environmental characteristics and likelihood of active commuting and public transit use were modeled using logistic regression with private transport (driving alone or carpool) as the reference category, adjusting for age, gender, and household car ownership. Consistent with other international studies, participants living in neighborhoods with a mix of land uses and a transit stop within a 10-minute walk from home were more likely to use active commuting (both < 0.01). Land-use mix was significantly associated with the use of public transit compared to private transport (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) =5.2, = 0.002). Contrary to findings in high-income countries, the odds of active commuting were reduced with improved safety from crime (aOR =0.2, = 0.003), aesthetics (aOR =0.2, = 0.05), and street connectivity (aOR =0.2, = 0.003). Different environmental attributes were associated with active commuting, suggesting that these relationships are complex and may distinctly differ from those in high-income countries. Unexpected inverse associations of perceived safety from crime and aesthetics with active commuting emphasize the need for high-quality epidemiologic studies with greater context specificity in the study of physical activity in LMICs. Findings have public health implications for India and suggest that caution should be taken when translating evidence across countries.
很少有研究评估低收入和中等收入国家（LMICs）中与积极通勤相关的建成环境因素，但不同的环境可能会产生不同的结果。印度等国家的政策和投资仍在积极发展，以促进积极通勤，这些国家面临着交通拥堵、缺乏支持活动的基础设施、交通法规执行不力、空气污染和过度拥挤等问题。这项横断面研究调查了印度钦奈市家庭社区环境特征与积极通勤之间的关联。2015 年 1 月至 6 月期间，在印度南部钦奈大都市区的 155 个区招募了成年人（N = 370，47.2%为女性，平均年龄 = 37.9 岁）。参与者自我报告了他们通常的上班通勤方式，回答被重新编码为以下三个类别：（1）多模式或积极通勤（步行和骑自行车；n = 56）；（2）公共交通（n = 52）；和（3）私人交通（n = 111）。使用印度邻里环境步行性量表（NEWS-India）评估参与者家庭周围的环境属性。使用逻辑回归模型，将私人交通（独自驾驶或拼车）作为参考类别，调整年龄、性别和家庭汽车拥有量，对环境特征与积极通勤和公共交通使用的可能性之间的关联进行建模。与其他国际研究一致，居住在混合土地利用和距离家 10 分钟步行路程内有一个过境站的社区中的参与者更有可能使用积极通勤（均<0.01）。与私人交通相比，土地使用混合与公共交通的使用显著相关（调整后的优势比（aOR）=5.2，=0.002）。与高收入国家的发现相反，犯罪（aOR =0.2，=0.003）、美学（aOR =0.2，=0.05）和街道连通性（aOR =0.2，=0.003）改善的情况下，积极通勤的可能性降低。不同的环境属性与积极通勤有关，这表明这些关系很复杂，可能与高收入国家的关系明显不同。犯罪和美学感知安全性的意外负相关与积极通勤强调在 LMIC 中进行体力活动研究时，需要具有更高特定背景的高质量流行病学研究。这些发现对印度具有公共卫生意义，并表明在跨国界翻译证据时应谨慎行事。
