Evaluating Whether Employees’ Physical Activity and Travel Behaviors are Affected by Relocating to a Mixed-Use Work Place

Emory University: Prevention Research Center

Topics:
Community Health | Nutrition & Physical Activity for Adults

A team of experts from public health, urban planning, environmental psychology, transportation, and nutrition will evaluate physical activity and travel behaviors among new employees before and after they begin employment at Atlantic Station, a mixed-use redevelopment community in metropolitan Atlanta. The study will examine whether working in a dense, mixed-use work place has an affect on physical activity and use of public transportation. The research builds on another project being conducted by the Emory University Prevention Research Center to assess physical activity and travel behaviors among new residents of Atlantic Station.

Researchers aim to recruit 200 new Atlantic Station employees, excluding those who have previously worked in a dense mixed-use setting. Participants will be enrolled in the study before beginning to work at Atlantic Station, and they will complete baseline surveys and diaries, and wear global positioning system (GPS) devices and accelerometers before beginning their new work. Six-months later, participants will again complete surveys and diaries, and travel and activity information will be collected by both self-report and data from the GPS and accelerometers.

Researchers will identify individual and environmental factors that influence any changes in physical activity, nutrition, and transport behaviors of the workers. To inform healthy community designs, the study findings will be disseminated to Atlantic Station developers and leaders of public health, community planning and development, and local citizen groups.

 

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