Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31402209›Full record

SynthesisHealth & place2019

Activity spaces in studies of the environment and physical activity: A review and synthesis of implications for causality.

Lindsey Smith, Louise Foley, Jenna Panter

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Health & place, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
39citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

39 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Lindsey SmithMRC Epidemiology Unit & UKCRC Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine, Box 285, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 0QQ, UK. Electronic address: lgs36@medschl.cam.ac.uk.
Louise FoleyNational Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Global Health Research Group and Network on Diet and Activity, University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine, Box 285, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 0QQ, UK. Electronic address: lf354@medschl.cam.ac.uk.
Jenna PanterMRC Epidemiology Unit & UKCRC Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine, Box 285, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 0QQ, UK. Electronic address: jrp63@medschl.cam.ac.uk.

Funding

Department of Health PDF-2012-05-157Medical Research Council MC_UU_12015/6Medical Research Council MR/K023187/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Activity spaces are increasingly used to understand how people interact with their environment and engage in activity but their use may raise challenges regarding causal inference. We conducted a systematic review of findings and the methodological, analytical and conceptual issues relevant to causal inference. Studies were included if they comprised a spatial summary of locations visited, assessed any part of the causal pathway between the environment, physical activity and health, and used quantitative or qualitative methods. We searched seven electronic databases in January 2018 and screened 11910 articles for eligibility. Forty-seven studies were included for review. Studies answered research questions about features of or environmental features within activity spaces using a range of spatial and temporal summary techniques. The conceptual challenge of using activity spaces to strengthen causal inference was rarely considered, although some studies discussed circularity, temporality, and plausibility. Future studies should use longitudinal and experimental designs and consider the potential and actual use of spaces for physical activity, and their relationship with total levels of activity.

Indexed as

Environment DesignExerciseResidence CharacteristicsHumansActivity spaceCausal inferenceEnvironmentIndividual exposurePhysical activityResearch methods

Identifiers

PMID31402209
PMCPMC6737923

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.