Department of Urban Planning and Architectural Design, German University of Technology, Muscat, Oman.
Independent Public Health Researcher, Muscat, Oman.
Front Public Health. 2023 Mar 17;11:1007075. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1007075. eCollection 2023.
This study aims to examine the construct validity of Physical Activity Neighborhoods Environment Scales, Oman (PANES-O), and compare the subjective perceptions with objective measures in Muscat, the capital area of Oman.
Walkability index scores using GIS maps were calculated for 35 study areas in Muscat based on which five low and 5 high walkable study areas were randomly selected. A community survey was then conducted in November 2020 in each study area using the 16-item PANES-O instrument to measure the participants' perception of neighborhood density, land use mix, infrastructure, safety, aesthetics, and street connectivity. Due to pandemic restrictions, a social media-based purposive sampling strategy was utilized to reach community-based networks and complete digital data collection.
Significant differences between the low and high walkablehigh-walkable neighborhoods were observed for 2 of 3 macroenvironment subscales, density and land use. Respondents in high walkable neighborhoods perceived their areas as having more twin villas ( = 0.001) and apartment buildings ( < 0.001), greater access to destinations (like more shops, and places to go within walking distance; < 0.001), easy access to public transport ( < 0.001), and more places to be active ( < 0.001); than their counterparts in low walkable neighborhoods. In terms of microenvironmental attributes, respondents in high walkablehigh-walkable neighborhoods perceived their areas to have better infrastructure, better aesthetic qualities, and better social environment than their counterparts in low walkablelow-walkable neighborhoods. Significant differences in perceptions across 12 of the 16-item PANES tool confirmed that 6 of the 7 subscales were significantly sensitive to built environment attributes between the low and high walkable study areas. Respondents in high walkable neighborhoods perceived their areas as having greater access to destinations (like more shops, places to go within walking distance; ≤ 0.001), easy access to public transport ( ≤ 0.001), more places to be active ( ≤ 0.001), better infrastructure (like more sidewalks, facilities to bicycle; ≤ 0.001), and better aesthetic qualities ( ≤ 0.001). PANES-O also was able to rate high walkable neighborhoods to be higher in residential density and land-use mix compared to the low walkable neighborhoods demonstrating its sensitivity to the GIS maps' objective measures.
These results provide preliminary strong support for the construct validity of PANES-O, suggestingconfirming that it is a promising tool for assessing macroenvironmental perceptions related to physical activity in Oman. Further research using objective measures of microenvironments and device-based physical activity scores is needed to confirm the criterion validity of the 10 micro-environmental attributes of PANES-O using objective measures for the microenvironment. PANES-O could be used to generate and develop the needed evidence on the most appropriate approaches to improving the built environment to promote physical activity and urban planning in Omanthe country.
本研究旨在检验身体活动邻里环境量表（PANES-O）的结构效度，并比较主观感知与阿曼首都马斯喀特客观测量的结果。
使用 GIS 地图计算马斯喀特 35 个研究区域的步行指数得分，在此基础上随机选择 5 个低步行性和 5 个高步行性研究区域。然后，于 2020 年 11 月在每个研究区域进行社区调查，使用包含 16 个项目的 PANES-O 工具，以测量参与者对邻里密度、土地利用混合、基础设施、安全、美观和街道连通性的感知。由于疫情限制，采用基于社交媒体的目的抽样策略，以接触社区网络并完成数字数据收集。
在 3 个宏观环境子量表中的 2 个方面，密度和土地利用方面，低步行性和高步行性邻里之间存在显著差异。在高步行性邻里中，受访者认为他们的区域有更多的双联别墅（ = 0.001）和公寓楼（ < 0.001），可以更方便地到达目的地（如更多的商店和步行可达的地方； < 0.001），可以更方便地使用公共交通工具（ < 0.001），并且有更多的活动场所（ < 0.001）；而他们在低步行性邻里中的对应者则没有。在微观环境属性方面，高步行性邻里的受访者认为他们的区域基础设施更好、美观质量更好、社会环境更好，而低步行性邻里的对应者则没有。在 PANES 工具的 16 个项目中，有 12 个项目的感知存在显著差异，这证实了在低步行性和高步行性研究区域之间，7 个子量表中的 6 个对建筑环境属性非常敏感。在高步行性邻里中，受访者认为他们的区域更容易到达目的地（如更多的商店、步行可达的地方； ≤ 0.001），可以更方便地使用公共交通工具（ ≤ 0.001），有更多的活动场所（ ≤ 0.001），基础设施更好（如更多的人行道、自行车设施； ≤ 0.001），美观质量更好（ ≤ 0.001）。PANES-O 还能够对高步行性邻里进行评分，使其在住宅密度和土地利用混合方面高于低步行性邻里，这表明它对 GIS 地图的客观测量具有敏感性。需要使用微观环境的客观测量和基于设备的身体活动评分进一步研究，以使用客观测量来确认 PANES-O 的 10 个微观环境属性的效标效度。PANES-O 可用于生成和发展有关改善促进身体活动和城市规划所需的最佳建筑环境方法的证据，在阿曼这个国家。
