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Spatial analysis of neighborhood vitality determinants on physical activity: a case study of Chicago

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Abstract

Previous research has largely ignored the neighborhood’s vitality in creating a relaxing and safe environment for the prevalence of physical activity. Neighborhood vitality is critical for a healthy urban environment, and outdoor safety can only be ensured by reducing crime and repurposing underutilized spaces. A global regression and two local regressions are used to model the cross-sectional, ecological relationships between physical inactivity and multiple environmental variables in Chicago, United States. Multiscale geographically weighted regression showed the best model fit (R2 = 0.92). According to the findings, the factors influencing physical inactivity in Chicago neighborhoods are crime, green space, and vacant properties. Physical inactivity is rising in neighborhoods with a high share of 17 aged and younger and children living in poverty. Besides that, the relationships between neighborhood covariates and physical inactivity are spatially heterogeneous. Our study advocates for multiscale and multidisciplinary policies and institutions to create comfortable outdoor spaces for controlling and reducing physical inactivity prevalence.

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  1. Geography Department, Chicago State University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Aynaz Lotfata

  2. Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CB, The Netherlands

    Marco Helbich

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Lotfata, A., Helbich, M. Spatial analysis of neighborhood vitality determinants on physical activity: a case study of Chicago. GeoJournal 88, 2187–2197 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-022-10748-8

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