Constructing Two-Level Designs by Concatenation of Strength-3 Orthogonal Arrays

Two-level orthogonal arrays of N runs, k factors, and a strength of 3 provide suitable fractional factorial designs in situations where many of the main effects are expected to be active, as well as some two-factor interactions. If they consist of N/2 mirror image pairs, these designs are fold-over designs. They are called even and provide at...

Neighborhood-based PA and its environmental correlates: A GIS- and GPS based cross-sectional study in the Netherlands

Background: To improve our understanding of the neighborhood environment - physical activity (PA) relationship, it is of importance to assess associations between neighborhood environmental characteristics and neighborhood-based PA. Methods: Participants' (N = 308; 45-65 years) light PA (LPA) and moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA) within a 400, 800,...

Parental Active Transportation Routines (PATRns) as a Moderator of the Association Between Neighborhood Characteristics and Parental Influences and Active School Transportation

Successful implementation of interventions to stimulate active school transportation (AST) requires better understanding of this behavior. This study explored the associations between Parental Active Transportation Routines (PATRns) and children’s AST use, as well as the role of PATRns as a moderator of the association between the neighborhood...

Modeling region-based interconnection for interdependent networks

Various real-world networks interact with and depend on each other. The design of the interconnection between interacting networks is one of the main challenges to achieve a robust interdependent network. Due to cost considerations, network providers are inclined to interconnect nodes that are geographically close. Accordingly, we propose two...

Longitudinal association of neighborhood variables with body mass index in dutch school-age children: The KOALA birth cohort study

Changes in the neighborhood environment may explain part of the rapid increase in childhood overweight and obesity during the last decades. To date few theory-driven rather than data-driven studies have explored longitudinal associations between multiple neighborhood characteristics and child body weight development. We aimed to assess the...

Constructing General Orthogonal Fractional Factorial Split-Plot Designs

While the orthogonal design of split-plot fractional factorial experiments has received much attention already, there are still major voids in the literature. First, designs with one or more factors acting at more than two levels have not yet been considered. Second, published work on nonregular fractional factorial split-plot designs was either...

Intersectorale samenwerking rondom een gezonde wijk [Intersectoral coalitions to realize a healthy neighborhood: A Delphi-study to priorities, sectors and determinants]

Healthy neighborhoods are an important mean to increase health and quality of life of citizens. Realization of healthy neighborhoods requires coalitions of different sectors. This research answers the question on what factors experts agree that they contribute to effective intersectoral coalitions. We aimed for consensus about (1) priorities to...

Active Living: development and quasi-experimental evaluation of a school-centered physical activity intervention for primary school children

Background The worldwide increase in the rates of childhood overweight and physical inactivity requires successful prevention and intervention programs for children. The aim of the Active Living project is to increase physical activity and decrease sedentary behavior of Dutch primary school children by developing and implementing tailored,...

How many walking and cycling trips made by elderly are beyond commonly used buffer sizes: Results from a GPS study

In choosing appropriate buffer sizes to study environmental influences on physical activity, studies are hampered by insufficient insight into the distance elderly travel actively. This study aims at getting insight into the number of trips walked and cycled within various buffer sizes using GPS measures. Data were obtained from the Elderly And...

Changes in smoking, sports participation and overweight: Does neighborhood prevalence matter?

We investigated whether the prevalence of health-related behaviors and overweight in neighborhoods is associated with changes in smoking, sports participation and overweight over 13 years of follow-up in Dutch adults residing in 86 neighborhoods of Eindhoven in 1991. We showed that living in neighborhoods with a high prevalence of non-smoking,...

No effect of ambient odor on the affective appraisal of a desktop virtual environment with signs of disorder

Background : Desktop virtual environments (VEs) are increasingly deployed to study the effects of environmental qualities and interventions on human behavior and safety related concerns in built environments. For these applications it is essential that users appraise the affective qualities of the VE similar to those of its real world...

What determines walking of older people in their neighborhood?

Based on literature review and five focus groups, a model was analyzed describing individual, social environmental and physical environmental (perceived) determinants of walking by older people. Aim was to test whether these determinants were significantly associated with the duration of walking by older people (N = 567, 50 - 80 years) in a...

Stuurgroep Zwangerschap en Geboorte pleit voor aandacht achterstandswijken: Hoe bereiken we allochtone zwangeren?

The Steering Committee Pregnancy and Birth that was created by the Minister of Health and Welfare to study the relatively high perinatal mortality in the Netherlands, advises that extra attention be paid to pregnant women in disadvantaged neighborhoods. The perinatal mortality is substantially higher in these neighborhoods and is the highest...