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Updated: Aug 10, 2026
11:21
Methodology for Establishing a Community-Wide Life Laboratory for Capturing Unobtrusive and Continuous Remote Activity and Health Data
Published on: July 27, 2018
An ecological approach to creating active living communities
James F Sallis1, Robert B Cervero, William Ascher
1Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92103, USA. sallis@mail.sdsu.edu
Annual Review of Public Health
|March 15, 2006
Summary
Multilevel interventions targeting individuals and environments are essential for increasing physical activity. Ecological models and transdisciplinary approaches are key to achieving population-level behavior change in active living.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Environmental Science
- Behavioral Science
- Urban Planning
Background:
- Population-level physical activity requires interventions beyond individual-level strategies.
- Ecological models provide a framework for understanding multifaceted influences on behavior.
- Existing research indicates multiple environmental and policy factors impact physical activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a model linking environmental and policy influences to active living domains.
- To advocate for multilevel interventions for significant population physical activity change.
- To emphasize the need for transdisciplinary approaches in physical activity research.
Main Methods:
- Review and synthesis of existing research on multilevel influences on physical activity.
- Development of a conceptual model identifying environmental and policy mediators.
- Summary of contributions from various disciplines to multilevel interventions.
Main Results:
- Evidence supports multiple levels of influence on physical activity behaviors.
- Different environmental variables are associated with distinct active living domains (recreation, transport, occupation, household).
- Transdisciplinary collaboration is crucial for effective intervention design and implementation.
Conclusions:
- Multilevel interventions are necessary to foster population-wide increases in physical activity.
- Further research is needed to refine community, transport, and recreation designs.
- Collaboration with policy researchers can facilitate the translation of findings into practice.
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