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Abstract
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Background
Despite the known benefits of physical activity (PA), physical inactivity levels have grown over the last years. Since most individuals in developed countries rely on their private cars for transportation, the promotion of active modes of transport, such as walking or cycling, is a possible and viable strategy to encourage active living among workers and students. Evidence supports the important role of the built environment in the modulation of PA and active commuting patterns. However, the role of the built environment in quality of life is less clear.
Methods
The main purpose of the present study is to adapt and validate the NEWS-A, one of the most popular measures of perceived neighborhood environment, in a sample of Portuguese college students (NEWS-A-PT). A CFA was conducted, in order to examine the factorial structure of the mentioned instrument. This study also aims to explore how perceived neighborhood environment characteristics relate to PA and quality of life.
Results
In general, the NEWS-A-PT displayed acceptable levels of temporal reliability, and the revised 32-item model provided acceptable fit to the data. Additionally, significant correlations were found between NEWS-A-PT factors and indicators of PA and quality of life.
Conclusions
The present study provides empirical support for the validity and reliability of the six-factor and 32-item version of the NEWS-A-PT for Portuguese college students. It also supports the assumption that perceived neighborhood environment characteristics are associated with both PA and quality of life.
Language: en |