Oral

There is growing interest in how community design and transportation infrastructure may influence levels of physical activity and quality of life. This session will provide objective data on these issues. NQLS, the Neighborhood Quality of Life study will present data on the positive relationships between objective measures of the "walkability" of communities in Seattle Washington and Baltimore Maryland and levels of physical activity. A second presentation will then provide an international perspective on similar issues. Over the last 15 years influential politicians in Bogota Colombia have promoted significant policy and infrastructure changes that have implications for physical activity. In this study objective measures of community design and transportation infrastructure are compared to levels of walking, cycling and quality of life. As with the NQLS study, community features such as access to transit, trails and parks are significantly related to levels of walking and reported quality of life. In Bogota these changes were made through policy directives of powerful mayors; for such changes to occur in the US additional policy tools are needed. Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is one such tool. The Buford Highway HIA will describe the process of conducting, and the projected health outcomes of, an HIA on potential pedestrian and roadway improvements for a busy road in Atlanta Georgia. Finally, the Physical Activity Policy Research Network will describe the process and results of an extensive "Concept Mapping" project, which used a systematic series of interviews and ratings to develop a practitioner oriented physical activity research agenda.

Session Objectives: 1. Describe observed associations between the built environment and different types of physical activity. 2. Describe the uses and limitations of Health Impact Assessments for making decisions about potential environmental influences on physical activity. 3. Describe priorities and their rationale for physical activity policy research.

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing