Associations between Neighbourhood Built Environment and Leisure and Transportation Physical Activity among Canadian-Born Residents and Recent and Established Immigrants in Canada

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dc.contributor.advisorMcCormack, Gavin Robert
dc.contributor.authorMasihay Akbar, Hasti
dc.contributor.committeememberTurin, Tanvir Chowdhury
dc.contributor.committeememberOlstad, Dana Lee
dc.date2024-11
dc.date.accessioned2024-10-25T22:23:31Z
dc.date.available2024-10-25T22:23:31Z
dc.date.issued2024-10-22
dc.description.abstractDespite well-established health benefits, nearly half of adults in Canada do not engage in enough physical activity for optimal health benefits. In Canada there are differences in physical activity levels among immigrants and non-immigrants. The built environment has the potential to reduce or widen inequalities if its effects on physical activity differ among population subgroups. While evidence has highlighted potential differences in how the built environment is associated with physical activity across various population subgroups, some equity-seeking groups, such as immigrants, have received little research attention. Globally, most studies examining this association among immigrants have been conducted in the U.S., with inconsistent findings. The study presented in this thesis addresses these knowledge gaps, guided by two relevant theoretical perspectives, including the socioecological model and acculturation theory. The aim of this research was to generate novel evidence regarding the associations between the neighbourhood built environment, specifically objectively-measured walkability, and physical activity according to residency status (Canadian-born, recent immigrants, and established immigrants). Our objectives were 1) to estimate and compare TPA and LPA participation and duration between Canadian-born, recent and established immigrant adults and determine whether neighbourhood walkability accounts for any observed residency group differences, and 2) to estimate and compare the direction and magnitude of associations between neighbourhood walkability and TPA and LPA participation and duration between these groups. The study included cross-sectional analysis of nationally representative data from Canadian Community Health survey (CCHS 2017-2018) linked with 2016 Can-ALE data. We found that recent and established immigrants were more likely than Canadian-born to participate in TPA, but these differences attenuated after controlling for walkability. Moreover, recent and established immigrants were less likely to participate in LPA and undertook fewer LPA minutes, compared to Canadian-born individuals. However, the differences in LPA minutes attenuated after controlling for walkability. Walkability was positively associated with TPA participation and duration in all residency status groups, but the magnitude of these associations differed between these groups. Findings from this thesis suggest that improving neighbourhood walkability could have broad public health benefits, but tailored strategies are essential to address the needs of immigrant populations.
dc.identifier.citationMasihay Akbar, H. (2024). Associations between neighbourhood built environment and leisure and transportation physical activity among Canadian-born residents and recent and established immigrants in Canada (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1880/120010
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgary
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectImmigrant
dc.subjectphysical activity
dc.subjectbuilt environment
dc.subjectwalkability
dc.subjectneighbourhood
dc.subject.classificationEpidemiology
dc.titleAssociations between Neighbourhood Built Environment and Leisure and Transportation Physical Activity among Canadian-Born Residents and Recent and Established Immigrants in Canada
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineMedicine – Community Health Sciences
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudentI do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.
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