Assessing active transportation among socio-economically disadvantaged adults through participatory Geographic Information Systems : Individual Map Creation

Background: The prevalence of obesity worldwide has been steadily increasing. Active transportation has been considered to be one of the key factors in obesity prevention. Purpose: To utilize a novel online participatory Geographic Information Systems methodologyto assess active transportation among socio-economically disadvantaged adults (25-65 y/o) in Flanders. Methods: Individual Map Creation uses an online platform which has been developed by the Network for Sustainable Mobility Research from University of Ghent. It consists of mapping software that enables socio-economically disadvantaged adults to map the routes that they use on a regular basis using active transportation under the guidance of a researcher. The mapping takes place in an one-to-one session during which a semi-structured interview also is conducted to gain deeper knowledge of the perceptions of the participants on their environment. Results: Through the Individual Map Creation, we expect to gain insight into the utilization and perceptions of active transportation among socio-economically disadvantaged adults in their local environment. Preliminary results might be available in the upcoming months. Conclusions: The construction of an instrument to assess active transportation among socio-economically disadvantaged adults and the inclusion of their perceptions on their environment can increase our knowledge of determinants of that might facilitate or impede the use of active transportation. Funding: Study is founded by internally by Sciensano