Conference Agenda
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Daily Overview |
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WR1_2_4: Pitch oral & Environmental approaches to HEPA promotion Group Meeting Location: White room 1 Session Chair: Josef Mitáš | |
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3:58pm - 4:01pm
Road closures in a national public park: a natural experiment on a temporary urban environment change and physical activity in Scotland, UK Physical Activity for Health Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom Background and Aim: Temporary Urban Environment Changes (TUECs) are reversible, adaptable street and public-space modifications for active living, endorsed by the WHO’s 2025 Promoting Walking and Cycling toolkit. However, UK evidence from real-world schemes remains limited. Using temporary road closures in Holyrood Park (Edinburgh; closed vs open to motor traffic) as a policy-defined TUEC, we compared physical activity during closure and non-closure periods and assessed whether any change reflected higher activity overall or shifts in activity-type composition. Methods: In this pre-registered natural-experiment study, trained observers collected MOHAWk (Method for Observing Physical Activity and Wellbeing) data at three park locations. Physical activity (total and by type) and visible user characteristics (e.g., age/sex/dog-walking) were recorded at the same clock-hours on closure and non-closure days (n=40 site-hours) to inform equity-relevant interpretation. Differences were analysed using negative binomial models for counts and stacked-count models for composition, with sensitivity analyses for robustness. Results: Total physical activity counts were higher when the road was closed to motor traffic than when open (IRR 1.55, 95% CI 1.26–1.90), including walking (1.51, 1.17–1.93) and cycling (2.02, 1.30–3.15). Composition changes were small and imprecise (e.g., cycling share +2.46 pp, 95% CI −1.83 to +6.86). Sensitivity analyses were directionally consistent. Conclusions: In this policy-defined TUEC case, scheduled road closure was associated with higher observed health-enhancing physical activity during affected hours. The study adds real-world evidence to inform the monitoring and evaluation of temporary, “trial-and-learn” interventions for active living. Additional data collection will improve precision and enable seasonal comparison. Funding: CSC Scholarship. | |
