Page 27 - InnoRenew CoE International Conference 2022
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e impact of built environment on movement behaviours: a brief
overview of the systematic reviews
Kaja Kastelic1,2*, Nastja Podrekar Loredan2,3, Dean Lipovac1,2, Mateja Erce2,
Michael D. Burnard1,2, Nejc Šarabon2,3
1 Univerza na Primorskem, Andrej Marušič Institute, Muzejski trg 2, 6000 Koper, Slovenia
2 InnoRenew CoE, Livade 6a, 6310 Izola, Slovenia kaja.kastelic@innorenew.eu, nastja.podrekar@innorenew.eu, dean.lipovac@innorenew.eu,
mateja.erce@innorenew.eu, mike.burnard@innorenew.eu, nejc.sarabon@innorenew.eu
3 Univerza na Primorskem, Fakulteta za vede o zdravju, Polje 42, 6310 Izola, Slovenia
* Corresponding author
Background: Movement behaviours (i.e. physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep) collectively impact
health and wellbeing. Nowadays, we face a high prevalence of unhealthy movement behaviours, including a
lack of physical activity and sleep, which emerged in our industrialisation and urbanisation periods. To develop
evidence-based interventions for population-level behavioural change, underlying factors that affect movement
behaviours need to be identified. The aim of this study was to examine existing systematic reviews to identify the
characteristics of the built environment that affect physical activity, sedentary behaviour, or sleep.
Methods: A literature search was conducted in May 2022. We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, using a search
query that included keywords “environment”, “movement behaviours”, and “review”. Only systematic reviews,
published in English, reporting a relationship between physical activity, sedentary behaviour, or sleep with
characteristics of the built environment were included.
Results: After screening titles and abstracts for eligibility, we found 75 systematic reviews that reported
associations with physical activity, 19 for sedentary behaviour, and 8 for sleep. The reviews (n = 81) reported
associations between movement behaviours and numerous characteristics of macro-level environments,
including neighbourhood walkability, mixed land-use, proximity of services, housing density, recreational facilities,
green spaces, street connectivity, traffic safety, ambient air pollution, and noise pollution. Some reviews (n = 9)
also reported associations between movement behaviours and micro-level environments, including aesthetic
stairs, flexible office design, sit-to-stand desks, presence of screen technology, and prompting (e.g., to use stairs).
Conclusions: A substantial body of literature reports on the impact of the outdoor built environment on physical
activity, while few reviews focused on indoor built environment. The findings suggest a great opportunity to
support an active lifestyle through urban design. Given that people spend a considerable proportion of time
indoors, studies should further explore the opportunities to promote healthy movement behaviours through
indoor design as well.
Keywords: environmental design, active design, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep
Acknowledgment: The authors gratefully acknowledge the European Commission for funding the InnoRenew
CoE project (Grant Agreement #739574) under the Horizon2020 Widespread-Teaming program and the
Republic of Slovenia (Investment funding of the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union of the European
regional Development Fund).
17–18 NOVEMBER 2022 I IZOLA, SLOVENIA 27
overview of the systematic reviews
Kaja Kastelic1,2*, Nastja Podrekar Loredan2,3, Dean Lipovac1,2, Mateja Erce2,
Michael D. Burnard1,2, Nejc Šarabon2,3
1 Univerza na Primorskem, Andrej Marušič Institute, Muzejski trg 2, 6000 Koper, Slovenia
2 InnoRenew CoE, Livade 6a, 6310 Izola, Slovenia kaja.kastelic@innorenew.eu, nastja.podrekar@innorenew.eu, dean.lipovac@innorenew.eu,
mateja.erce@innorenew.eu, mike.burnard@innorenew.eu, nejc.sarabon@innorenew.eu
3 Univerza na Primorskem, Fakulteta za vede o zdravju, Polje 42, 6310 Izola, Slovenia
* Corresponding author
Background: Movement behaviours (i.e. physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep) collectively impact
health and wellbeing. Nowadays, we face a high prevalence of unhealthy movement behaviours, including a
lack of physical activity and sleep, which emerged in our industrialisation and urbanisation periods. To develop
evidence-based interventions for population-level behavioural change, underlying factors that affect movement
behaviours need to be identified. The aim of this study was to examine existing systematic reviews to identify the
characteristics of the built environment that affect physical activity, sedentary behaviour, or sleep.
Methods: A literature search was conducted in May 2022. We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, using a search
query that included keywords “environment”, “movement behaviours”, and “review”. Only systematic reviews,
published in English, reporting a relationship between physical activity, sedentary behaviour, or sleep with
characteristics of the built environment were included.
Results: After screening titles and abstracts for eligibility, we found 75 systematic reviews that reported
associations with physical activity, 19 for sedentary behaviour, and 8 for sleep. The reviews (n = 81) reported
associations between movement behaviours and numerous characteristics of macro-level environments,
including neighbourhood walkability, mixed land-use, proximity of services, housing density, recreational facilities,
green spaces, street connectivity, traffic safety, ambient air pollution, and noise pollution. Some reviews (n = 9)
also reported associations between movement behaviours and micro-level environments, including aesthetic
stairs, flexible office design, sit-to-stand desks, presence of screen technology, and prompting (e.g., to use stairs).
Conclusions: A substantial body of literature reports on the impact of the outdoor built environment on physical
activity, while few reviews focused on indoor built environment. The findings suggest a great opportunity to
support an active lifestyle through urban design. Given that people spend a considerable proportion of time
indoors, studies should further explore the opportunities to promote healthy movement behaviours through
indoor design as well.
Keywords: environmental design, active design, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep
Acknowledgment: The authors gratefully acknowledge the European Commission for funding the InnoRenew
CoE project (Grant Agreement #739574) under the Horizon2020 Widespread-Teaming program and the
Republic of Slovenia (Investment funding of the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union of the European
regional Development Fund).
17–18 NOVEMBER 2022 I IZOLA, SLOVENIA 27
