The development of a data model for research on the environmental correlates of physical inactivity and obesity

Abstract

Development of information systems to support research on environmental correlates of physical activity and nutrition has to date been largely ad hoc and driven by single research project requirements. In this rapidly growing field, research databases are becoming increasingly complex as researchers attempt to model the impact of multiple aspects of the environment such as neighborhood characteristics, site and building design, and nutritional environments on both aggregate and individual level measures of physical activity and weight. The presentation reports on the initial implementation of a logical data model in the context of an ongoing research program that is exploring the relation of neighborhood physical and demographic characteristics on physical activity levels measured in time and space.