The Article in Brief
Measuring Capability for Healthy Diet and Physical Activity
Robert L. Ferrer , and colleagues
Background Unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity contribute to illness and death. Success in promoting healthy behaviors is limited, however, if social and environmental contexts are not accounted for. This study was part of the development of a measure of practical opportunities for healthy behavior. To understand the individual support needed to create opportunities for healthy behavior, the study assesses how personal circumstances interact with resources in the environment.
What This Study Found There is a wide range of opportunity for healthy behavior, driven by variations in neighborhood environments, physical and mental health status, family composition, family and peer support, and personal autonomy. Availability, convenience, safety, and cost of food and activity resources interact with individual circumstances such as illness, depression, family and non-family supports, and scope of personal agency to shape practical opportunities.
Implications
- Practical opportunities for healthy behavior can be measured as a primary target for clinical and public health assessment and intervention. Developing interventions responsive to both personal and environmental determinants may help close the gap between intention and achievement.
- The variability in findings suggest it is important not to make assumptions about what is feasible for a given person.