Impact of the extension of the Sydney Light Rail System on the prevalence of physical activity participation

经常参加体育活动对成年人的身心健康有一系列好处，包括降低心血管疾病、非胰岛素依赖型糖尿病、超重、高血压、骨质疏松症、某些癌症以及焦虑和抑郁的风险。经常参加体育活动还能提高满足工作需要和从事休闲活动的能力。大约一半的澳大利亚成年人不够活跃，无法获得与定期体育活动相关的许多健康益处。改善体育环境是增加体育活动参与率的途径之一。更具体地说，有相当多的人猜测公共交通系统在增加成年人充分运动的比例方面所起的作用，但没有经验证据。这项研究将采用准实验设计，以确定悉尼轻轨系统延伸至利利菲尔德是否导致受影响地区的体力活动(主要是步行)增加，与人口统计相似的不受轻轨支线影响的地区相比。

Regular participation in physical activity is associated with a range of physical and mental health benefits in adults, including reduced risk for cardiovascular disease, non-insulin dependent diabetes, overweight, hypertension, osteoporosis, some cancers and anxiety and depression. Regular participation in physical activity also improves the ability to meet the demands of work and to engage in leisure activities. Approximately half of all adult Australians are insufficiently active to gain the many health benefits associated with participation in regular physical activity. Modification of the physical environment is one avenue through which the prevalence of physcial activity participation might be increased. More specifically, there has been considerable speculation about the role of public transportation systems in increasing the proportion of adults who are adequately physically active, but no empirical evidence is available. This study will employ a quasi-experimental design to determine if the extension of the Sydney Light Rail System to Lilyfield results in an increase in the prevalence of physical activity (primarily walking) in the affected area, in comparison with a demographically similar area which is not affected by the light rail extension.