A Schematic for Focusing on Youth in Investigations of Community Design and Physical Activity

American Journal of Health Promotion, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 33-38, 2004

6 Pages Posted: 12 Feb 2008

See all articles by Kevin Krizek

Kevin Krizek

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Amanda Birnbaum

affiliation not provided to SSRN

David Matthew Levinson

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Abstract

This paper provides a first step to address special considerations for youth in a relatively new area of physical activity research. After reviewing the urgent need for novel approaches to increasing physical activity, the growing interest in the effects of community design is discussed. Although most discussion on this topic has focused on adults, there are important differences between youth and adults that warrant a special focus on youth and need to be accounted for. This article presents a schematic that accounts for how and where youth spend their time, decomposing the day into time spent in travel and time spent at destinations, and identifying portions of those times that are spent engaged in physical activity. By focusing on both spatial and behavioral dimensions of youth time, the schematic may help organize and advance scientific inquiry into the relationships between community design and physical activity specifically for youth.

Suggested Citation

Krizek, Kevin and Birnbaum, Amanda and Levinson, David Matthew, A Schematic for Focusing on Youth in Investigations of Community Design and Physical Activity. American Journal of Health Promotion, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 33-38, 2004, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1091833

Kevin Krizek

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

Amanda Birnbaum

affiliation not provided to SSRN

David Matthew Levinson (Contact Author)

affiliation not provided to SSRN