Background

BACKGROUND—Being active is challenging for many patients who undergo MBS. To help patients become active requires understanding of PA barriers/facilitators. Yet, research has largely focused on individual-level factors and neglected how patients’ neighborhoods support/hinder PA. OBJECTIVE—Evaluate whether “cognability” (extent to which neighborhoods encourage PA, social connection and cognitive stimulation) relates to meeting national PA guidelines (≥150 moderate-to vigorous intensity PA [MVPA] minutes/week) among patients pursuing MBS.

Methods

Adult patients seeking MBS at Hartford HealthCare (Connecticut, USA) completed the Physical Activity Vital Sign (PAVS) clinical PA screening tool. PAVS and zip code data were retrieved from electronic health records. Zip code data were entered into a national cognability map to obtain neighborhood cognability scores. Logistic regression estimated probability of meeting PA guidelines as a function of neighborhood cognability, controlling for BMI, sociodemographics, and COVID risk (given effects on PA and cognition) for each US census tract.

Results

Of 269 participants (81.8% female; 44.3±12.7 years; 64.8% Non-White Race; 41.9±9.4 kg/m2), 93 (34.6%) met PA guidelines. Mean neighborhood cognability score was 50.2±25.9 (range=8-100). Higher neighborhood cognability related to greater likelihood of meeting PA guidelines (OR=1.01,95%CI [1.00-1.02] p=.031). Participants in high-to-very high cognability neighborhoods were twice as likely to meet PA guidelines versus those in low-to-very low cognability neighborhoods (OR=2.18,95%CI [1.18-4.02] p=.013).

Conclusions

Living in neighborhoods that provided better support for PA and other brain-healthy behaviors related to increased likelihood of MBS patients being active, above and beyond important weight, disease, and sociodemographic factors. Future PA research in MBS patients should evaluate how neighborhood-level factors support/hinder PA.