title: Utility of passive photography to objectively audit built environment features of active transport journeys: an observational study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Active transport can contribute to physical activity accumulation and improved health in adults. The built environment is an established associate of active transport behaviours; however, assessment of environmental features encountered during journeys remains challenging. The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of wearable cameras to objectively audit and quantify environmental features along work-related walking and cycling routes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sample of employed adults was recruited in New Zealand, in June 2011. Participants wore a SenseCam for all journeys over three weekdays and completed travel diaries and demographic questionnaires. SenseCam images for work-related active transport journeys were coded for presence of environmental features hypothesised to be related to active transport. Differences in presence of features by transport mode and in participant-reported and SenseCam-derived journey duration were determined using two-sample tests of proportion and an independent samples t-test, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen adults participated in the study, yielding 1749 SenseCam images from 30 work-related active transport journeys for coding. Significant differences in presence of features were found between walking and cycling journeys. Almost a quarter of images were uncodeable due to being too dark to determine features. There was a non-significant tendency for respondents to under-report their journey duration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides proof of concept for the use of the SenseCam to capture built environment data in real time that may be related to active transportation. Further work is required to test and refine coding methodologies across a range of settings, travel behaviours, and demographic groups.
authors.affiliation: Human Potential Centre, National Institute for Public Health and Mental Health Research, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand. melody.oliver@aut.ac.nz
authors.forename: Melody
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.forename: Aiden R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Hannah M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Badland
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mavoa
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shepherd
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Charlie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Foster
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001642:Bicycling; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D010781:Photography / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014186:Transportation / Q000379:methods*; D016138:Walking