Home and Work Physical Activity Environments: Associations with Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Physical Activity Level in French Women

Jean-Michel Oppert, Marie-Aline Charles, Hélène Charreire, Mehdi Menai, Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij, Soren Brage, Blandine De Lauzon-Guillain, Guy Fagherazzi and Beverley Balkau
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Jean-Michel Oppert: Department of Nutrition Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Sorbonne Universités, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris 06, Paris F-75013, France
Marie-Aline Charles: Early Origin of the Child Health and Development Team (ORCHAD), INSERM, UMR1153 Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Research Center (CRESS), Paris Descartes University France, Paris F-75014, France
Hélène Charreire: Lab-Urba Urbanism Institute of Paris, University of Paris Est, UPEC, Créteil F-94010, France
Mehdi Menai: Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), Sorbonne Paris Cité Epidemiology and Statistics Research Center, Inserm U1153, Inra U1125, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM), University of Paris 13, Bobigny F-93017, France
Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij: Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, Ghent 9000, Belgium
Soren Brage: MRC Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Box 285, Addenbrookes Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
Blandine De Lauzon-Guillain: Early Origin of the Child Health and Development Team (ORCHAD), INSERM, UMR1153 Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Research Center (CRESS), Paris Descartes University France, Paris F-75014, France
Guy Fagherazzi: INSERM UMR-S 1018 (CESP), Universities Paris South and St Quentin-en-Yvelines, Villejuif Cedex F-94807, France
Beverley Balkau: INSERM UMR-S 1018 (CESP), Universities Paris South and St Quentin-en-Yvelines, Villejuif Cedex F-94807, France

IJERPH, 2016, vol. 13, issue 8, 1-11

Abstract: The influence of the physical activity environment in the home and at work on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and objectively-measured physical activity has not been extensively studied. We recruited 147 women with a (mean ± SD) age of 54 ± 7 years and without evidence of chronic disease. The physical activity environment was assessed by self-report (Assessing Levels of PHysical Activity or ALPHA questionnaire), CRF using a submaximal step test, usual physical activity using combined heart rate and accelerometry, as well as by a validated questionnaire (Recent Physical Activity Questionnaire). Summary scores of the home environment and the work environment derived from the ALPHA questionnaire were positively correlated with CRF after adjustment for age ( r = 0.18, p = 0.03 and r = 0.28, p < 0.01, respectively). Women owning a bicycle or having a garden (which may prompt physical activity) had higher CRF; those with a bicycle at home also had a higher physical activity energy expenditure. Similarly, women who had access to fitness equipment at work had higher CRF. In conclusion, these results provide new insights into potential environmental influences on physical capacity and physical activity that could inform the design of physical activity promotion strategies.

Keywords: home environment; workplace environment; physical activity; physical fitness; aerobic capacity; accelerometer; heart rate; questionnaire (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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