To the Editor: Previous articles in the Journal have stressed the importance of making obesity prevention a public health research priority.1,2 Participation in physical activity is one important factor in counteracting increase in body weight.3 While recent studies have focused on environmental factors that influence walking (eg, presence of paths and trails, accessibility of destinations)4 and the possibility of environmental innovations to increase rates of participation, few studies have investigated participants’ perception and understanding of variation in physical activity in relation to environmental factors across the seasons.
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- 1. Catford JC, Caterson ID. Snowballing obesity: Australians will get run over if they just sit there. Med J Aust 2003; 179: 577-579. <MJA full text>
- 2. Waters EB, Baur LA. Childhood obesity: modernity’s scourge. Med J Aust 2003; 178: 422-423. <MJA full text>
- 3. Tremblay A, Doucet E, Imbeault P. Physical activity and weight maintenance. Int J Obes 1999; 23(Suppl 3): S50-S54.
- 4. Owen N, Humpel N, Leslie E, et al. Understanding environmental influences on walking. Review and research agenda. Am J Prev Med 2004; 27: 67-76.
- 5. Matthews CE, Freedson PS, Herbert JR, et al. Seasonal variation in household, occupational, and leisure time physical activity: longitudinal analyses from the Seasonal Variation of Blood Cholesterol Study. Am J Epidemiol 2001; 153: 172-183.
We wish to thank Professor Gail Huon for allowing us to conduct the study in her School; Martin Schumacher and Volker Grüsgen for the translation of the survey questionnaire; Sarah Maguire and Emmy Giannakopoulos for rating the Australian questionnaires; Elizabeth Rieger for theoretical discussions; and Sam Colman and Federica Barzi (Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney) for their statistical advice. The research was completed while the first author was in receipt of the Australia Europe Scholarship (IDP Australia) and a scholarship from the Christina Barz Stiftung (Stifterverband für Deutsche Wissenschaft).