title: Associations between time spent in green areas and physical activity among late middle-aged adults.
abstract: Physical activity is an important facilitator for health and wellbeing, especially for late middle-aged adults, who are more susceptible to cardiovascular diseases. Physical activity performed in green areas is supposed to be particularly beneficial, so we studied whether late middle- aged adults are more active in green areas than in non-green areas and how this is influenced by individual characteristics and the level of neighbourhood greenness. We tracked 180 late middle-aged (58 to 65 years) adults using global positioning system and accelerometer data to know whether and where they were sedentary or active. These data were combined with information on land use to obtain information on the greenness of sedentary and active hotspots. We found that late middle-aged adults are more physically active when spending more time in green areas than in non-green areas. Spending more time at home and in non-green areas was found to be associated with more sedentary behaviour. Time spent in non-green areas was found to be related to more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for males and to less MVPA for females. The positive association between time spent in green areas and MVPA was the strongest for highly educated people and for those living in a green neighbourhood. This study shows that the combined use of global positioning system and accelerometer data facilitates understanding of where people are sedentary or physically active, which can help policy makers encourage activity in this age cohort.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, Ghent University, Ghent; Research Foundation Flanders, Brussels; Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol. bartd.dewulf@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dewulf
authors.forename: Tijs
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Neutens
authors.forename: Delfien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Van Dyck
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Bourdeaudhuij
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Broekx
authors.forename: Carolien
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beckx
authors.forename: Nico
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Van de Weghe
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004777:Environment; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D012111:Residence Characteristics