Municipal Officials' Participation in Built Environment Policy Development in the United States.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined municipal officials' participation in built environment policy initiatives focused on land use design, transportation, and parks and recreation.


METHODS
Web-based cross-sectional survey.


METHODS
Eighty-three municipalities with 50,000 or more residents in eight states.


METHODS
Four hundred fifty-three elected and appointed municipal officials.


METHODS
Outcomes included self-reported participation in land use design, transportation, and parks and recreation policy to increase physical activity. Independent variables included respondent position; perceptions of importance, barriers, and beliefs regarding physical activity and community design and layout; and physical activity partnership participation.


METHODS
Multivariable logistic regression models.


RESULTS
Compared to other positions, public health officials had lower participation in land use design (78.3% vs. 29.0%), transportation (78.1% vs. 42.1%), and parks and recreation (67.1% vs. 26.3%) policy. Perceived limited staff was negatively associated with participation in each policy initiative. Perceptions of the extent to which physical activity was considered in community design and physical activity partnership participation were positively associated with participation in each. Perceived lack of collaboration was associated with less land use design and transportation policy participation, and awareness that community design affects physical activity was associated with more participation. Perceived lack of political will was associated with less parks and recreation policy participation.


CONCLUSIONS
Public health officials are underrepresented in built environment policy initiatives. Improving collaborations may improve municipal officials' policy participation.
Stephenie C
SC
Lemon
Karin Valentine
KV
Goins
Kristin L
KL
Schneider
Ross C
RC
Brownson
Cheryl A
CA
Valko
Kelly R
KR
Evenson
Amy A
AA
Eyler
Katie M
KM
Heinrich
Jill
J
Litt
Rodney
R
Lyn
Hannah L
HL
Reed
Nancy O'Hara
NO
Tompkins
Jay
J
Maddock
D002947:Cities / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004779:Environment Design; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000068316:Parks, Recreational; D011050:Policy Making; D011635:Public Health Administration; D011998:Recreation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014186:Transportation
Built Environment; Health focus: fitness/physical activity; Manuscript format: research; Municipal Government; Outcome measure: behavioral; Physical Activity; Prevention Research; Research purpose: modeling/relationship testing; Setting: local community; Strategy: built environment; Study design: nonexperimental; Target population age: adult; Target population circumstances: geographic location