this paper aims to analyze the effect of perception of nature in the built environment on the sociability of spaces. in this paper, quality of sociability of spaces is considered as a dependent variable which can be affected by possibility and quality of perception of nature in the built environment as independent variables. in order to make the analysis, built environment is considered as a so...

BACKGROUND Although many studies have reported the association between neighborhood built environment (BE) and physical activity (PA), less is known about the associations for older populations or in countries besides the US and Australia. The aim of this paper is to examine the associations for older adult populations in Japan. METHODS Our analyses were based on cross-sectional data from the...

BACKGROUND The physical environment may play a crucial role in promoting older adults' walking for transportation. However, previous studies on relationships between the physical environment and older adults' physical activity behaviors have reported inconsistent findings. A possible explanation for these inconsistencies is the focus upon studying environmental factors separately rather than si...

BACKGROUND Since a decline in activity levels occurs in adolescence, active transport could be important to increase daily physical activity in older adolescents (17-18 years). To promote active transport, it is necessary to be aware of the barriers and facilitators of this type of transport, but also of other transport modes. This study sought to uncover the factors influencing the choice of t...

Xerophilic fungi, especially Aspergillus species, are prevalent in the built environment. In this study, we employed a combined culture-independent (454-pyrosequencing) and culture-dependent (dilution-to-extinction) approach to investigate the mycobiota of indoor dust collected from 93 buildings in 12 countries worldwide. High and low water activity (aw) media were used to capture mesophile and...

Executive summary Europe is facing serious challenges, which are evident in the built environment. Damage has been caused by unexpected weather patterns resulting from climate change. Higher sea levels threaten underground rail systems in northern cities. The infrastructure in Eastern Europe is in disrepair. Water supply and wastewater systems throughout the EU are increasingly dilapidated and ...

Collective efficacy, i.e., perception of mutual trust and willingness to help each other, is a measure of neighborhood social capital and has been associated with positive health outcomes including lower rates of assaults, homicide, premature mortality, and asthma. Collective efficacy is frequently considered a "cause", but we hypothesized that environmental features might be the foundation for...