title: Overcoming the challenges of conducting physical activity and built environment research in Latin America: IPEN Latin America.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is evidence linking the built environment (BE) with physical activity (PA), but few studies have been conducted in Latin America (LA). State-of-the-art methods and protocols have been designed in and applied in high-income countries (HIC). In this paper, we identify key challenges and potential solutions to conducting high-quality PA and BE research in LA.
  
  
  METHODS
  The experience of implementing the IPEN data collection protocol (IPEN: International Physical Activity Environment Network) in Curitiba, Brazil; Bogotá, Colombia; and Cuernavaca, Mexico (2010-2011); is described to identify challenges for conducting PA and BE research in LA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five challenges were identified: lack of academic capacity (implemented solutions (IS): building a strong international collaborative network); limited data availability, access and quality (IS: partnering with influential local institutions, and crafting creative solutions to use the best-available data); socio-political, socio-cultural and socio-economic context (IS: in-person recruitment and data collection, alternative incentives); safety (IS: strict rules for data collection procedures, and specific measures to increase trust); and appropriateness of instruments and measures (IS: survey adaptation, use of standardized additional survey components, and employing a context-based approach to understanding the relationship between PA and the BE). Advantages of conducting PA and BE research in LA were also identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Conducting high-quality PA and BE research in LA is challenging but feasible. Networks of institutions and researchers from both HIC and LMIC play a key role. The lessons learned from the IPEN LA study may be applicable to other LMIC.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Health Sciences, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Nutrition and Health Research Center, National Institute of Public Health of Mexico, Mexico; Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA. Electronic address: dsalvo@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Salvo
authors.affiliation: Research Group of Physical Activity and Quality of Life (GPAQ), School of Health and Biosciences, Pontificia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil; Department of Physical Education, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.affiliation: Schools of Medicine and Government, Los Andes University, Bogota, Colombia.
authors.forename: Olga L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Sarmiento
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Health Sciences, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Schools of Medicine and Government, Los Andes University, Bogota, Colombia.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pratt
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003625:Data Collection; D004779:Environment Design; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007391:International Cooperation; D007843:Latin America; D008800:Mexico; D009043:Motor Activity; D012107:Research Design; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012449:Safety; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: Built environment; Latin America; Physical activity