Associations between the built environment and physical activity among adults with low socio-economic status in Canada: a systematic review.

Objective: To synthesize literature on the associations between the built environment and physical activity among adults with low socio-economic status (SES) in Canada.

Methods: Using a pre-specified study protocol (PROSPERO ID: CRD42019117894), we searched seven databases from inception to November 2018, for peer-reviewed quantitative studies that (1) included adults with low SES living in Canada and (2) estimated the association between self-reported or objectively measured built characteristics and self-reported or objectively measured physical activity. Study quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Findings were synthesized using a narrative approach.

Synthesis: Of the 8338 citations identified by our search, seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies included adults living in one province (Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, or Quebec), with one study including a national sample. All studies were cross-sectional, and none controlled for residential self-selection. Sampling designs and data collection strategies were heterogeneous. Sample sizes ranged between 78 and 37,241 participants. Most studies measured SES using household income. Street connectivity, greenness, destination density, and walkability were positively associated with physical activity. Relative to the objectively measured built environment, associations between the self-reported built environment and physical activity were less consistent. Studies were of fair to good quality.

Conclusion: Findings suggest that the neighbourhood built environment is associated with physical activity among adults with low SES in Canada. More rigorous study designs are needed to determine whether or not the built environment and physical activity are causally related within this vulnerable population.