Neighbourhood Environmental Health: Relationship between Neighbourhood Quality, Physical Activity and Health

Abstract

Human health, especially the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) was associated with the quality of neighbourhood environments. NCDs are also related to the level of physical activity, which can be influenced by the quality of the neighbourhood environment. However, past research has focused on public perception without being verified by researchers’ on-site observation of the neighbourhood environment. This research aims to analyse the three relationships among neighbourhood environment, physical activity level, and health. It involves a questionnaire survey for the perception of the neighbourhood environment, self-reported health status, and engagement in physical activity, as well as on-site observation. Correlation and multiple regression models are applied for the analysis. As a result, this research uses a case study in USJ, Subang Jaya, to suggest a significant relationship between neighbourhood environment and health and physical activity level and health. However, the relationship between neighbourhood environment and physical activity is not significant. The multiple regression analysis for health status shows that 89.7% of the variance is due to other variables. The findings will be beneficial to all parties involved in urban planning and design in order to improve environmental quality and encourage physical activity for better health.