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The objectives of this study were to examine the association between objectively measured environmental variables and transportation and recreation bicycling frequency, and to develop transportation and recreation bikeability indices. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the underlying essential structure of the environmental variables under consideration. Many environmental variables were found to be correlated with transportation bicycling frequency, but not recreation bicycling frequency. The final transportation bikeability index included the combined effect of bicycle lanes, residential density, population density, ozone level, distance to transit, parks, and tree canopy coverage, and was found to have a significant direct association with any past-year transportation bicycling (odds ratio [OR] = 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.35, 1.52]) and transportation bicycling frequency (incident rate ratio [IRR] = 1.14, 95% CI = [1.09, 1.19]). This work will help advance research on bicycling and public health by providing a tool that can be utilized to examine transportation bicycling and the objective environment in the context of the United States.

Purpose We investigated associations of intrapersonal and environmental factors with objectively assessed weekly moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) minutes, and their interactions in rural adults. Design Cross-sectional. Setting 14 rural towns participating in a multilevel intervention to promote physical activity. Sample Baseline data from 241 rural community members (19% losses due to missing data). Measures Self-reported demographics, behavioral factors, and neighborhood environment perceptions. Weekly MVPA minutes were assessed using accelerometry data. Analysis Generalized linear models using a negative binomial distribution examined associations of and interactions between intrapersonal and environmental correlates with weekly MVPA. Results Older age (β = −1.37; P= .025) and identifying as a woman (β = −.71; p= <.001) were inversely associated with MVPA. Self-efficacy (β = .34; p = <.001) and trail use (β = .44; P-value = .003) were directly associated with MVPA. Further, among women, perceived safety from traffic was inversely associated with MVPA (β = −.37; P = .003), while indoor recreational facility access was directly associated with MVPA (β = .24; P = .045). Conclusions Rural residents, especially women, face disproportionately lower MVPA levels. Improving recreational access and self-efficacy may be effective strategies for increasing MVPA.

The traditional view of translating research to policy is reframed as a complex multidirectional interaction based on international case studies presented at the 2015 Active Living Research conference. The United Kingdom developed a process for reviewing and synthesizing evidence to inform policy, but policy makers were often ahead of the guidance. In Australia, translation of research to policy has been facilitated by brokering the relationship between researchers and policy makers. The best example of dissemination of the evidence for physical activity promotion into a national program comes from Brazil, but implementation has been markedly influenced by community and political factors. In Mexico, "physical activity policy" is being implemented at scale but without much research and with leadership from sectors other than public health. A more flexible understanding of the complex interplay between research and policy will increase the probability that the best available evidence will influence policy and that policy with the potential to increase physical activity will be evaluated.

With relatively few exceptions, the majority of evidence concerning the health benefits of physical activity (PA) has been gleaned from high-income countries (HICs). In the opening editorial to this special issue, the editors suggest that under-representation of lower and middle-income countries (LMICs, often referred to as 'Global South') in the PA literature is more than 'just another research gap'. Arguably, this gap reflects very real differences in context, competing health and developmental priorities, available resources and undoubtedly, political will.

Latin America (LA) has a unique structural, political, cultural and social environment. This study aimed to identify the places where Latin American adults are physically active; and to determine the association of using public- and restricted-access places with physical activity (PA). We used data from the International PA Environment Network study in Bogota, Colombia (n=1000, accelerometry=249); Cuernavaca, Mexico (n=677, accelerometry=652); and Curitiba, Brazil (n=697, accelerometry=331) (2010-2011). Walking and moderate-to-vigorous PA for leisure were measured with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Overall PA and PA within 10-minute bouts were measured with accelerometers. Participants reported use of public- and restricted-access places for PA. Mixed-effects regression models were used to determine the association of using public- and restricted-access places with PA. The streets were the most frequently-reported place for PA, and walking was the most common PA in the studied places. 'Informal', non-exercise-or-sports places (e.g., shopping malls) ranked high for use for PA in Bogota and Cuernavaca. In Curitiba, use of 'formal' places for sports/exercise (e.g., gyms) was more prevalent. Using public-access places was directly related to walking for leisure in all cities, and to additional PA outcomes in Bogota and Cuernavaca. In Cuernavaca and Curitiba, using restricted-access places was also associated with PA. Our study highlights the importance of public-access places for PA in LA. In some contexts, places for social interaction may be as important for PA as places for exercise/sport. Strategies increasing the availability, accessibility and quality of these places may effectively promote PA in LA.

This study examined the strength and shape of associations between perceived environmental attributes and adults' recreational walking, using data collected from 13,745 adult participants in 12 countries. Perceived residential density, land use mix, street connectivity, aesthetics, safety from crime, and proximity to parks were linearly associated with recreational walking, while curvilinear associations were found for residential density, land use mix, and aesthetics. The observed associations were consistent across countries, except for aesthetics. Using data collected from environmentally diverse countries, this study confirmed findings from prior single-country studies. Present findings suggest that similar environmental attributes are associated with recreational walking internationally. ; Australian data collection was supported by National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia Project Grant #213114. The contributions of Neville Owen were supported by NHMRC Program Grant #569940, NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellowship #1003960, and by the Victorian Government's Operational Infrastructure Support Program. Data collection in Hong Kong was supported by the HK Research Grants Council GRF grants (#HKU740907H and #747807H) and HKU URC Strategic Research Theme (Public Health). US data collection and Coordinating Center processing was supported by the NIH grants R01 HL67350 (NHLBI) and R01 CA127296 (NCI). The Danish study was partly funded by the Municipality of Aarhus. Data collection in the Czech Republic was supported by the grant MEYS (# MSM 6198959221). The study conducted in Colombia was funded by Colciencias grant 519_2010, Fogarty and CeiBA. Data collection in New Zealand was supported by the Health Research Council of New Zealand grant # 07/356. Data collection in Mexico was supported by the CDC Foundation which received a training grant from The Coca-Cola Company. The UK study was funded by the Medical Research Council under the National Preventive Research Initiative.

Background: The work of The Global Observatory for Physical Activity-GoPA! is the first global effort to compile standardized country-level surveillance, policy and research data for physical activity in order to better understand how countries and regions address promoting physical activity. GoPA! developed standardized country-specific physical activity profiles ("Country Cards") to summarize country-level data through 2013. The aim of this study was to assess use of the Country Cards, identify the factors associated with their use, and develop recommendations for supporting country-level physical activity promotion. Methods: Cross sectional internet-based survey conducted between August-October 2016. Target study participants were national physical activity leaders and advocates in academia, government and practice from the GoPA! countries, and members of the International Society of Physical Activity and Health. A Country Card use composite score was created based on the diversity and frequency of use. Statistical analyses on the associations between the composite score and respondent characteristics, country characteristics, barriers and opinions were conducted (including descriptive analyses and a logistic regression with robust standard errors). Results: One hundred forty three participants from 68 countries completed the survey. Use of the Country Cards was associated with being part of the GoPA! network, knowing about the Country Cards, and on the stage of country capacity for physical activity promotion. Country Card knowledge varied by country income group, region and the country specific context. More diverse and frequent use of the cards (highest tertile of the composite score for use) was associated with: 1. Being a country contact vs general participant (OR 18.32-95% CI 5.63-59.55, p = 0.002), and 2. Collaborating with a government representative working in NCDs on a monthly or more frequent contact vs less frequent contact (OR 3.39-95% CI 1.00-11.54, P < 0.05). Conclusions: For the Country Cards to have a broader impact, GoPA! will need to widen its reach beyond the academic sector. With further refinement of the cards, and training in their implementation, they could be an important tool for advancing country capacity for contextually-relevant strategies, actions and timelines for PA promotion.

Background: The work of The Global Observatory for Physical Activity-GoPA! is the first global effort to compile standardized country-level surveillance, policy and research data for physical activity in order to better understand how countries and regions address promoting physical activity. GoPA! developed standardized country-specific physical activity profiles ("Country Cards") to summarize country-level data through 2013. The aim of this study was to assess use of the Country Cards, identify the factors associated with their use, and develop recommendations for supporting country-level physical activity promotion. Methods: Cross sectional internet-based survey conducted between August–October 2016. Target study participants were national physical activity leaders and advocates in academia, government and practice from the GoPA! countries, and members of the International Society of Physical Activity and Health. A Country Card use composite score was created based on the diversity and frequency of use. Statistical analyses on the associations between the composite score and respondent characteristics, country characteristics, barriers and opinions were conducted (including descriptive analyses and a logistic regression with robust standard errors). Results: One hundred forty three participants from 68 countries completed the survey. Use of the Country Cards was associated with being part of the GoPA! network, knowing about the Country Cards, and on the stage of country capacity for physical activity promotion. Country Card knowledge varied by country income group, region and the country specific context. More diverse and frequent use of the cards (highest tertile of the composite score for use) was associated with: 1. Being a country contact vs general participant (OR 18.32–95% CI 5.63–59.55, p = 0.002), and 2. Collaborating with a government representative working in NCDs on a monthly or more frequent contact vs less frequent contact (OR 3.39–95% CI 1.00–11.54, P < 0.05). Conclusions: For the Country Cards to have a broader impact, GoPA! will need to widen its reach beyond the academic sector. With further refinement of the cards, and training in their implementation, they could be an important tool for advancing country capacity for contextually-relevant strategies, actions and timelines for PA promotion.

The trajectory of aging is profoundly impacted by the physical and social environmental contexts in which we live. While "top–down" policy activities can have potentially wide impacts on such contexts, they often take time, resources, and political will, and therefore can be less accessible to underserved communities. This article describes a "bottom–up", resident-engaged method to advance local environmental and policy change, called Our Voice, that can complement policy-level strategies for improving the health, function, and well-being of older adults. Using the World Health Organization's age-friendly cities global strategy, we describe the Our Voice citizen science program of research that has specifically targeted older adults as environmental change agents to improve their own health and well-being as well as that of their communities. Results from 14 Our Voice studies that have occurred across five continents demonstrate that older adults can learn to use mobile technology to systematically capture and collectively analyze their own data. They can then successfully build consensus around high-priority issues that can be realistically changed and work effectively with local stakeholders to enact meaningful environmental and policy changes that can help to promote healthy aging. The article ends with recommended next steps for growing the resident-engaged citizen science field to advance the health and welfare of all older adults.

The trajectory of aging is profoundly impacted by the physical and social environmental contexts in which we live. While "top–down" policy activities can have potentially wide impacts on such contexts, they often take time, resources, and political will, and therefore can be less accessible to underserved communities. This article describes a "bottom–up", resident-engaged method to advance local environmental and policy change, called Our Voice, that can complement policy-level strategies for improving the health, function, and well-being of older adults. Using the World Health Organization's age-friendly cities global strategy, we describe the Our Voice citizen science program of research that has specifically targeted older adults as environmental change agents to improve their own health and well-being as well as that of their communities. Results from 14 Our Voice studies that have occurred across five continents demonstrate that older adults can learn to use mobile technology to systematically capture and collectively analyze their own data. They can then successfully build consensus around high-priority issues that can be realistically changed and work effectively with local stakeholders to enact meaningful environmental and policy changes that can help to promote healthy aging. The article ends with recommended next steps for growing the resident-engaged citizen science field to advance the health and welfare of all older adults.