Research
Adherence
Local environmental changes, such as improving walkability, access to recreation spaces, and traffic safety, effectively increase physical activity.
Support local initiatives to build parks, improve sidewalks, and enhance traffic safety. These environmental changes make physical activity easier and more accessible.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Improved accessibility of recreation and exercise spaces and facilities (eg, building of parks and playgrounds, increasing operating hours, use of school facilities during nonschool hours) (IIa B)† ... Improved walkability, a composite indicator that incorporates aspects of land-use mix, street connectivity, pedestrian infrastructure, aesthetics, traffic safety, and/or crime safety (IIa B)†
Why this rating
Class IIa recommendation with Level B evidence.
Source
Population Approaches to Improve Diet, Physical Activity, and Smoking Habits
Dariush Mozaffarian et al. · Circulation · 2012
DOI 10.1161/cir.0b013e318260a20b
systematic_reviewCited 604×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Population-level economic incentives, specifically subsidies for healthful foods and taxes on less healthful foods/beverages, are effective strategies to improve dietary habits.Good
- Media and educational campaigns, particularly when sustained and focused on specific healthful foods, effectively increase consumption of those foods.Good
- Restrictions on tobacco advertising and marketing, including bans on advertisements to children and near schools, effectively reduce tobacco use.Good
Related findings · Adherence
- Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity) reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by 20-30% and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25-35%.Strong
- Increasing physical activity from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one in middle adulthood significantly reduces the risk of coronary events compared to remaining sedentary.Strong
- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →