
Event Details
PHO Rounds: How Built and Social Environments Influence Commuters’ Travel Choices
Regular physical activity (PA) reduces chronic disease risk and premature death, but work demands often prevent adults from meeting the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA weekly. In 2021, 39.2% of Canadian working adults did not meet this target. Active commuting offers a practical way to incorporate PA into daily routines, aligning with the World Health Organization’s 2018-2030 Global Action Plan on Physical Activity. In this PHO Rounds, Drs. Biswas and Prince Ware share results from a recent study examining the influence of both the built (e.g., walkability, cycling infrastructure, air pollution) and social (e.g., degree of marginalization and deprivation) environments on commute mode, including walking and bicycling. Using 2016 Census and environmental data for over two million Canadian workers, they identify four combinations of built and social environments around the areas where Canadians work and live and discuss which of these environments are most supportive in promoting greater population levels of active commuting.
Intended audience: MOHs/AMOHs, PHU staff, researchers, public health practitioners, researchers, city planners, and health policy advisors, especially those working in health promotion.
Note: For the best live experience, please ensure you are using a current version of Zoom (6.1.0 or higher) in Chrome or another modern browser to support interactive features.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Explain the importance of built and social environments around homes and workplaces for active commuting and physical activity.
- Describe the distribution of built and social environments across urban neighbourhoods in Canada.
- Discuss ways to promote physical activity and active commuting in adult populations based on the research evidence.
Presenter(s): Aviroop Biswas and Stephanie Prince Ware
Dr. Aviroop Biswas, PhD, is a scientist at the Institute for Work & Health and an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health. His research aspires to improve sustainable employment and prevent future worker injury and chronic disease by informing health promotion activities related to optimal physical activity for diverse workers and equitable worker wellbeing practices. His recent projects include exploring the links between workers’ daily activity patterns and chronic disease risk, the role of workplace wellbeing champions in fostering engagement, and the impact of built and social environments on active commuting.
Dr. Stephanie Prince Ware, PhD, is a Senior Research Scientist with the Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research at the Public Health Agency of Canada and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Ottawa. She is also an Associate Editor with the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity. Dr. Prince Ware’s research is focused on the measurement of health behaviours (e.g., physical activity and sedentary behaviour) with an emphasis on national surveillance, determinants of health behaviours and health, and built environments including the evaluation of natural experiments.
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies or views of Public Health Ontario, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by Public Health Ontario.
Accreditation
Public Health Ontario Rounds are a self-approved group learning activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). In order to receive written documentation for Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits, please check “Yes” beside the question “Do you require CME credits?” on the registration form.
College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) Affiliate Members may count RCPSC credits toward their Mainpro+ credit requirements. All other CFPC members may claim up to 50 Certified credits per cycle for participation in RCPSC MOC Section 1 accredited activities.
PHO Rounds are also approved by the Council of Professional Experience for professional development hours (PDHs) for members of the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors (CIPHI).
For more information or for a record of registration for other Continuing Education purposes, please contact capacitybuilding@oahpp.ca.
Accessibility
Public Health Ontario is committed to complying with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). If you require accommodations to participate in this event, please contact 647-260-7100 or capacitybuilding@oahpp.ca.
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