Citation

Arifwidodo SD, Chandrasiri O. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024; 21(4).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/ijerph21040387

PMID

38673300

PMCID

PMC11050372

Abstract

This study investigated whether living in a walkable neighbourhood could mitigate the adverse effects of the lockdown and closure of public open spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity among adults in Bangkok, Thailand. We conducted a telephone survey with 579 respondents and collected information on their physical activity, access to green open spaces, neighbourhood walkability, and socioeconomic characteristics during the pandemic. Our study indicates that living in a walkable neighbourhood is associated with a higher likelihood of engaging in sufficient physical activity during the pandemic. Furthermore, we confirm the influence of socioeconomic factors and health behaviours on physical activity levels, aligning with previous research. Notably, our study highlights the significant association between access to green open spaces during lockdown and increased physical activity. These results underscore the importance of promoting walkable neighbourhoods and ensuring accessible green spaces to enhance physical activity and improve health outcomes during and beyond the pandemic.

Language: en

Keywords

*COVID-19/epidemiology/prevention & control; *Exercise; *Residence Characteristics; *Walking/statistics & numerical data; Adult; Aged; built environment; COVID-19; Environment Design; Female; green open spaces; Health Behavior; Humans; landscape architecture; Male; Middle Aged; neighbourhood walkability; Pandemics; physical activity; SARS-CoV-2; Socioeconomic Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Thailand/epidemiology; Young Adult