A Meta-Analysis of Evidence Synthesis for a Healthy Campus Built Environment by Adopting Active Design Approaches to Promote Physical Activity

Abstract

The spread of chronic diseases, particularly obesity, has become a significant social issue on a global level concerning human inactivity and unhealthy behavior. The new approach to active design introduced by AIA and Sport England to increase human activity through physical activity in the built environment includes certifications such as Fitwell and LEED. An active design is any design feature that encourages physical activity, thus encouraging the user to be physically, mentally, and socially active in the built environment. This study aims to assemble evidence on the active design approach through physical activity in the campus built environment by using a meta-analysis approach and statistical analyses. There were 1993 papers identified during the search; following the screening, eligibility, and inclusion stages, 10 studies that addressed physical activity in colleges and universities were chosen. Findings indicate that physical activity has a positive impact on human health in the built environment. I² is (96.38%), which indicates considerable heterogeneity with p < 0.0001 and an absence of publication bias. Accordingly, a model was designed to integrate an active design approach and healthy behavior theories for future research. Overall, the evidence shows the importance of active design and physical activity for a healthy built environment to achieve healthy social behavior.

The Role of the Active Design Approach in Improving the Environmental Psychology of a Healthy Built Environment: The Case of a University Campus

“…Our study created a model based on active design parameters to answer this question. The primary notion for active design is to create active behaviours among a society to achieve a healthy community that could be matched with the healthy behaviour theory [26]. Environmental psychology focuses on people's social interactions with their surroundings, whereas the goal of active design is to encourage healthy behaviours by designing the built environment.…”

“…Ultimately, the new approach to active design and its definition were studied, analysed, and categorised [26]. All research studies saw physical activity, in general, and its impact on mental health; none of them break it down into categories hypothesised as the need (ambition) of students and later explore its effect on the environmental psychology of a campus-built environment, which fill the goal of this research paper that examines the role of active design in improving the environmental psychology of a healthy built environment.…”

“…The majority of students spend most of their time on campus. A healthy campus is a place that actively promotes optimal health outcomes and helps each student as a whole-as a single bio-psycho-social person [24][25][26]. The university campus environment is the most critical environment influencing students' daily activities and health from the perspective of environmental behaviour and the campus space environment [27].…”