Javad Koohsari

Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

Insufficient physical activity and excessive sitting time among office-based workers have been linked to various health risks and economic consequences. While health promotion interventions are essential, the role of workplace design in encouraging active behaviours is increasingly recognised. However, significant gaps exist in knowledge about how...

工作场所是人们花费大量时间的地方，因此在我们的生活中具有重要意义：工作场所可以影响我们的健康和工作效率。但，究竟工作场所如何影响我们的健康呢？本次将就该话题展开讨论。 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Z1D5M7fCpf3p_D4_lBZb-g

Media release: https://www.jaist.ac.jp/whatsnew/press/2024/05/31-2.html

Media Release: https://www.jaist.ac.jp/english/whatsnew/press/2024/05/31-2.html

Urban design is an interdisciplinary field integrating elements of science and art, depending on the specific area being researched or practised. Its classification as a science, a non-science (i.e., an art), or both remains a widely debated topic in the field. This paper presents at least three reasons why urban design can be treated as a science...

Objectives: This study investigates how 24-hour movement behaviors (physical activity, sedentary time, sleep) relate to cognitive performance in older adults. Methods: 213 adults (aged 65+) wore accelerometers to track activity. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Isotemporal substitution analysis examine...

建成环境也能和体育科学之间产生联系，有助于发展新颖的策略来帮助运动员提升运动能力和表现。本次我们将分享建成环境到底是如何影响现代体育科学的。 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/JZfo-t_Qf5XNJnJ-OvNLFQ

Media release: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1040733

Media release: https://www.jaist.ac.jp/whatsnew/press/2024/04/10-1.html

Sports science focuses on enhancing athletes’ performance, requiring a multifaceted approach. It is evolving from a purely muscle-centred approach to an interdisciplinary one. This paper investigates built environment design science, a dimension less explored in relation to enhancing athlete performance in sports science. The discussion is divided...

Urbanization represents a significant population trend, and a longer life expectancy increases the number of older people living in cities. Aging can intensify urbanization and urban design challenges. Parks or public open spaces are settings within the neighborhood that can support older people to live an active lifestyle. This study examined asso...

众所周知，有规律的锻炼可以带来非常多的好处，例如强化体格，预防疾病，然而数据显示全球正处于身体活动不足化中，全世界只有不到一半的国家有全民健身的政策，其中不足40%被执行，那如何促进我们的积极运动状态呢？建成环境在其中就可以起到不可忽视的作用。本次我们将分享建成环境中的一些元素是如何影响我们的身体活动的。 (https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/LXAbUQ0RDaMKjPWqqzqC-A)

认知障碍是脑疾病中最难诊断和治疗的问题之一，而且也造成了广泛的影响和危害。最新的数据显示，我国45岁及以上的中老年人群的认知障碍患病率超过30%。为了实施一些干预措施来预防和治疗老年人群体的认知障碍，邻里物理环境的重要性日益凸显出来。本次分享将介绍街道布局是如何影响老年人的认知障碍的。 (https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/OcV4qEDgVtI9-b43ymcbew)

身体活动对于健康和幸福至关重要，同时也是实现全球可持续发展目标的一种可持续行为。个体的身体活动受多种因素影响，包括个人、家庭、社会和环境，其中场所依恋对于个体与环境的互动以及户外身体活动有显著影响。本次将就场所依恋如何影响人们步行行为的观点展开讨论。 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/2kPr8nPaTfCldlZbxrxhDA

图表简讯：建成环境设计对抑郁症的作用 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/B9ENl60r99mEDTGk557xcA An inforgraphic of this paper: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/365687179_Depression_among_middle-aged_adults_in_Japan_The_role_of_the_built_environment_design

图表简讯：建成环境与久坐行为的关系 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/UbPY02_bjT1N9O8-b_oVJA An inforgraphic of this paper: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340686244_Environmental_attributes_and_sedentary_behaviours_among_Canadian_adults

图表简讯：养狗、遛狗与社会资本 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/a--g-V7Sljpvsy4YUPPTeA An infographic of the paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-021-00804-y

在全世界范围内，养宠物狗越来越普及。越来越多的研究也证实了养狗对健康的益处：1. 促进身体活动；2. 增强社会资本。我们的研究发现：1. 养狗并遛狗的年轻到中年人与邻居的交往比没有养狗的人更多；2. 养狗行为与社会资本的联系并没有在老年人群中发现差异。该结果表明，养狗行为与促进社会资本之间存在复杂的关系，这可能是因为该联系受到了年龄，文化地域背景，建成环境等因素的影响。 (https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/GLRwcP-wnwhsfi_Y1_L9mg)

抑郁症是一种常见的，且影响巨大的精神障碍。据估计，全球有约3.8%的人口患有抑郁症，100万人因此而自杀，而我国也有超9500万的患者，抑郁症造成了人们各个方面的困扰。而建成环境的设计作为对抗抑郁症的一个方式将是本次讨论的话题 (Translation: The design of built environments as a way to fight depression will be the topic of this discussion.) (https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/sDn4JArkrrWuYP_vWNiPcw)

An infographic of our paper on built environment design and cancer prevention (https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/zJvL2dC8pSexhkJcfXuqkw)

到2035年左右，我国的老年人口（60及60岁以上的人口）数量将会达到4亿之多，将占人口数量的大概30%。此次分享就老龄化社会的问题展开了一些与建成环境设计，健康相关的讨论。 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/bkv9zDen0dGWikJrOuvDJQ

An infographic of the paper below: Koohsari, M. J., McCormack, G. R., Nakaya, T., & Oka, K. (2020). Neighbourhood built environment and cardiovascular disease: knowledge and future directions. Nature Reviews Cardiology, 17(5), 261-263.

本文主要阐述（1）养狗行为对非传染性疾病的益处；（2）养狗行为在高密度城市地区的局限；（3）城市建成环境对养狗的影响。 (https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/vx4XFdBU2bSOSVaxhvpF7g)

作为全球最主要的死亡因素， 心血管疾病导致了近1800万人的死亡。全球面临着来自心血管疾病的重要挑战。然而，很多发现表明社会经济地位的不同导致了不同的人面临着不同的心血管疾病的风险和结果。那建成环境设计在其中扮演什么样的角色呢？能否用建成环境设计减少其中的差异呢？ https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Jhx5WhIJkDLsw_oYutcZLA

癌症作为全球的第二大死因，导致了全球近1,000万的死亡人数，这占据了全球死亡人数的1/6，并且还在以每年近2,000万病例的速度增加。这在亚洲其情况更为严重：全球接近半数的新增病例和超过半数的死亡病例均来自亚洲。那么建成环境和癌症预防之间有什么联系呢？本次分享将从以下几个方面解释：（1）了解建成环境设计与癌症预防的必要性；（2）癌症预防和治疗中的不平等现象；（3）癌症预防的三个等级；（4）建成环境设计对癌症预防一级阶段的影响；（5）建成环境设计对癌症二级预防阶段的影响；（6）建成环境设计对癌症三级预防阶段的影响。 (https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ZF5ivyfIskfS3VuZnYoFhA)

现在有很多研究都提到，绿色空间的数量和它的可达性对于人们的健康非常重要。同时，还有另外一些论文说到绿色空间的质量也很重要。那么质性因素和量性因素到底谁比较重要呢？本次分享将尝试于从几个方面进行解释：（1）被忽视的 “绿色空间的质量”；（2）原因与机制；（3）质性因素对于大城市的重要性；（4）质性因素的研究挑战；（5）时代的机遇与协作。 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/OQblbDmx2wzigWZ50A6JcA

在次课程中，Dr. Koohsari指出了（1）为什么“促进心脏健康的城市设计”是一个重要的议题；（2）心血管疾病的风险因素；（3）邻里环境的定义及其影响心脏健康的途径；（4）该主题下存在的研究缺口。 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/KXW5y5sgB4SbPX-8Qavh1Q

在此次课程中，Dr. Koohsari讲述了（1）公共开放空间的因素与健康的循证关系；（2）因素数量与质量之争；（3）(再)设计公共开放空间的因素选择 ;（4）公共开放空间与健康领域中的研究缺口。 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/oCnPwsfIFmOBMgd9ua-CzA

在这段对话中，Dr. Koohsari指出了（1）身体活动不足的定义；（2）测量身体活动和久坐行为的方式；（3）两种测量方法的优缺点。 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/zWGsx70YxjbCaOYo1jlS1Q

在这段对话中，Dr. Koohsari指出了（1）缺乏身体活动这一议题的重要性；（2）建成环境设计如何影响人们的身体活动行为。 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/-CQ3Rtwizg23RBqsEsPOPw

The neighbourhood plays an important role in health-seeking behaviours, health outcomes, and longevity of residents. In contexts where residents benefit from the use of neighbourhood attributes such as services, parks, and social networks, people age in optimal health in their community. Even so, some crises (i.e. climate change events, the outbrea...

在这段对话中，Dr. Koohsari指出了（1）公共开放空间的含义；（2）公共开放空间影响人们健康的机制。 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/lgybCq_M-B6tm3ATNhBMyA

在这段对话中，Dr. Koohsari指出了（1）建成环境与健康议题中的两种测量类型；（2）两种测量的比较；（3）测量方式的选择。 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/XD_5BzYsXwTi2NcIl0exug

在这段对话中，Dr. Koohsari指出了（1）世界首要的公众健康问题；（2）非传染性疾病的风险因素；（3）建成环境的定义。 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/XD_5BzYsXwTi2NcIl0exug

Background: Studies have suggested that sitting time at work may lead to underperformance but they may underestimate the benefits to desk workers’ performance of reducing occupational sitting time without considering the relative effects of the specific activities replaced. Aims: To estimate differences in work performance (presenteeism, absenteei...

在这段对话中，Dr. Koohsari指出了（1）建成环境干预的益处；（2）建成环境与健康属于跨学科研究领域的原因；（3）在亚洲地区进行该领域研究的必要性。 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/XD_5BzYsXwTi2NcIl0exug

由KOOHSARI LAB创建账号，发布支持建成环境改善的科学证据，以促进人类的健康和幸福。 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/XD_5BzYsXwTi2NcIl0exug

By adopting the perspective of park quality, this article aims to contribute to the ongoing scholarly discourse on the relationship between public green space and health.

Press release https://www.jaist.ac.jp/whatsnew/press/2023/08/31-1.html

Press release https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1000185

Park use has numerous health benefits. However, little research has investigated how the combination of park facilities, amenities, and conditions are related to park visitation. This study examined the association between a novel composite park quality metric and the use of specific parks, including variations by demographics. Data were collected...

Maintaining optimal health and a sense of attachment to one’s home and life space (i.e., neighbourhood) is the core of ageing in place. Life space can diminish over the life course due to a change in life goals as well as a gradual decline in functional ability. Climate change, infectious diseases, violence, and radical industrialisation, collectiv...

Media release: https://www.jaist.ac.jp/whatsnew/press/2023/07/25-1.html

Press release https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230725123117.htm

There is evidence that higher street connectivity and availability of destinations can support walking behavior. However, the availability of data and comparability between previous studies remains a challenge. Based on a large Canadian adult sample, this study examined the associations between street layout and walking behaviors and explored wheth...

This timely book provides an understanding of how an ageing population can maintain health in the ageing process in their preferred homes and neighbourhoods while coping with global crises of climate change events, infectious diseases, systemic violence, and radical or extreme industrialisation. It is the first-known volume to consider the four cri...

The design and quality of the neighbourhood built environment can encourage health-supportive behaviours and support cardio-metabolic health. However, despite relationships between demographic and behavioural risk factors of metabolic syndrome being investigated by many studies, only some studies have directly estimated the associations between the...

https://www.jaist.ac.jp/whatsnew/press/2023/06/09-1.html

Press release: https://www.jaist.ac.jp/english/whatsnew/press/2023/06/09-1.html

Accumulating evidence suggests that the built environment may be associated with cardiovascular disease via its influence on health behaviours. The aim of this study was to estimate the associations between traditional and novel neighbourhood built environment metrics and clinically assessed cardio-metabolic risk factors among a sample of adults in...

Press release at JAIST Uni https://www.jaist.ac.jp/english/whatsnew/press/2023/04/21-1.html

https://www.jaist.ac.jp/whatsnew/press/2023/04/18-1.html

The urban design features of a location are important for facilitating people’s attachment to places. Attachment to particular places, such as residential neighbourhoods, may encourage people to adopt and maintain physical activity routines. Moreover, the ways in which people perceive the built features in their neighbourhood (e.g., walkability) ma...

Emerging research from Asian and Western counties demonstrates the potential impact of urban design on cardiovascular diseases. While motivating individual lifestyle changes (e.g., targeting individuals through behaviour change strategies) remains essential in preventing these diseases, sustainable built environment interventions that can impact a...

Abstract Background The association of breaks in sedentary time with outcomes of physical function can vary according to the time of day. We examined the association of the diurnal pattern of breaks in sedentary time with physical function outcomes in older adults. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was conducted among 115 older adults (≥60 years)....

Media release: https://www.jaist.ac.jp/english/whatsnew/press/2023/02/21-1.html

https://www.jaist.ac.jp/whatsnew/press/2023/02/21-1.html

There has been a growing interest in the “metaverse,” and discourse about how this platform may contribute to different fields of science is already beginning to emerge. In this paper, we discuss key opportunities and uncertainties about how a metaverse might contribute to advancing knowledge in the interdisciplinary field of the built environment...

Media release: https://www.jaist.ac.jp/english/whatsnew/press/2023/01/31-1.html

Media release: https://www.jaist.ac.jp/whatsnew/press/2023/01/31-1.html

High-quality sleep is an important factor in sustaining health and improving well-being. Previous evidence has demonstrated the positive associations between increased physical activity and reduced sedentary behaviour (SB) with sleep quality. The substitutional relationships between SB, light-intensity physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigor...

Introduction Cross-sectional studies consistently find that the neighborhood built environment (e.g., walkability) is associated with walking. However, findings from the few existing longitudinal residential relocation studies that have estimated associations between changes in neighborhood built characteristics and walking are equivocal. The study...

Source: https://www.jaist.ac.jp/english/whatsnew/press/2022/12/19-1.html

Source:https://www.jaist.ac.jp/whatsnew/press/2022/12/19-1.html

Background: Understanding factors contributing to an individual reducing screen time is essential for promoting a healthy weight. Parents' behavior affects children by influencing their daily decision-making through modeling, rules or restrictions, social support, and co-participation. We examined how the direct and indirect effects of parents' and...

There has been considerable interest in the effect of the built environment design on depressive symptoms. However, there are still few empirical studies on this topic, and there is a dearth of evidence among middle-aged adults. The present study examined the associations of built environment attributes with depressive symptoms among a sample of mi...

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-11-couch-potato-risky-business-remedies.html https://www.jaist.ac.jp/english/research/outcomes/globalpublicity.html

Understanding the correlates of sedentary behavior among children is essential in developing effective interventions to reduce sitting time in this vulnerable population. This study aimed to identify correlates of domain-specific sedentary behaviors and objectively assessed sedentary time among a sample of children in Japan. Data from 343 children...

This book will be a compilation of commentaries, theoretical frameworks, and empirical evidence on how neighbourhoods can be re-designed or managed to support older people to maintain optimal health as they age amidst climate change events, radical industrialisation, infectious diseases, war (or violence), and other global crises. This book will dr...

This book will be a compilation of commentaries, theoretical frameworks, and empirical evidence on how neighbourhoods can be re-designed or managed to support older people to maintain optimal health as they age amidst climate change events, radical industrialisation, infectious diseases, war (or violence), and other global crises. This book will dr...

超高齢社会を迎えた我が国において，医療費及び介護 経費削減の視点からも健康寿命の延伸は国家的課題であ る．そして日常生活における座りすぎ（長時間の座位行 動）は，健康寿命を損なう生活習慣病の発生・重症化や 要介護状態に陥る大きな原因となる．

BACKGROUND: Time spent sitting is associated adversely with health outcomes in older adults. Nevertheless, it is not clear how sedentary time may be related to appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) – a key attribute of sarcopenia. This cross sectional study examined associations of total sedentary time with ASM among community-dwelling older Japa...

Evidence suggests that street connectivity is associated with physical activity, yet few studies have estimated its associations with sedentary behaviour. We estimated the associations between street connectivity (space syntax derived street integration) and sedentary behaviours among Canadian adults. Data were from Alberta’s Tomorrow Project (n=14...

In the context of rapid urbanization, public open spaces in dense urban areas are critical built environment elements to support active lifestyles. Several reviews have explored the associations of public open space attributes with physically active and sedentary behavior. However, few reviews have included studies from Asia, and no studies have fo...

There has been growing interest in the role of pet ownership, particularly dog ownership, in managing noncommunicable diseases. The built environment can act as a facilitator or barrier to owning a dog or dog walking. Nevertheless, limited studies conducted in different geographical contexts have examined how the built environment can influence dog...

The workplace spatial environment has been identified as one of the correlates of workers’ active and sedentary behaviours. This study examined the associations of perceived workplace layout design with workers’ active and sedentary behaviour in office workers in Japan. Participants in this study (n=2,265) were recruited from a nationwide online su...

Background: Understanding factors that contribute to an individual reducing his/her screen time is important for promoting a healthy weight. Parents’ and guardians’ behavior affects children as they influence their daily decision-making through modeling, rules or restrictions, social support, and co-participation. The present study examined how the...

Source: https://www.behealthylivinglab.com/post/dog-walking-dog-ownership-social-capital

Source: https://www.behealthylivinglab.com/post/dog-walking-dog-ownership-social-capital

Workplace settings – both internal and external – can influence the extent to which workers are physically active or sedentary. Although research has identified some indoor environmental attributes associated with sitting at work, few studies have examined associations of workplace neighbourhood built-environment attributes with workplace sitting t...

Source: https://www.behealthylivinglab.com/post/built-environment-design-cancer-prevention-inequality

Source: https://www.behealthylivinglab.com/post/built-environment-design-cancer-prevention-inequality

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to examine the associations between time spent in six different domains of sedentary behavior and happiness and whether social capital mediated such associations among adults and older adults living in a rural area of Japan. Research Design and Methods: Cross-sectional data from 3357 participants (mean a...

Background Neighborhood environmental attributes can promote walking behavior among older adults. Nevertheless, these walkability attributes may affect walking behavior differently depending on the time of the day. This study examined the association between neighborhood environmental attributes and average step counts at different times of the day...

Background: Neighborhood environmental attributes can promote walking behavior among older adults. Nevertheless, these walkability attributes may affect walking behavior differently depending on the time of the day. This study examined the association between neighborhood environmental attributes and average step counts at different times of the da...

In this interdisciplinary article, we provided an evidence-based discussion on the role of the supportive built environment on cancer prevention. We also extended the theoretical thinking on the built environment-cancer links by raising possible equality challenges. Following the recent call in population-level interventions in cancer prevention, o...

Objectives. To examine the associations between domain-specific sedentary and active behaviours and workers’ presenteeism and absenteeism in a sample of company employees. Methods. This study recruited participants (n=2,466) from a nationwide online survey database (Japan,2019). Participants completed a questionnaire that captured data on relativ...

A rapidly growing body of literature has explored associations between built environment attributes, which are conducive to walking, and social capital. The current study aimed to build on the limitations of previous research. Specifically, this study estimated the associations between traditional and novel walkable built environment metrics and so...

Sedentary behaviour is associated with risks of detrimental health outcomes. It is crucial to understand how much time people spend in sedentary behaviour and what factors affect too much sedentary time for effective intervention. However, few studies examined the prevalence and the correlates of sedentary behaviour in Japan. Therefore, we assessed...

Evidence for social pathways to health benefits for dog owners appears positive but less well developed. Our study aimed to estimate the differences in social capital by dog ownership and dog walking status among young-to-middle aged adults and older adults in Japan. Data from 3,606 residents living in Japan were used. Data on social capital, dog o...

Our study examined the associations between neighborhood walkability and frailty and the incidence of long-term care insurance (LTCI) service needs. A prospective cohort survey was conducted of 2,867 community-dwelling older adults (mean age: 73.0 years) in a suburban town in Japan. Neighborhood walkability was measured using the Walk Score®. A tot...

Walk Score® is a free web-based tool that provides a walkability score for any given location. A limited number of North American studies have found associations between Walk Score® and perceived built environment attributes, yet it remains unknown whether similar associations exist in Asian countries. The study’s objective is to examine the covari...

Few longitudinal residential relocation studies have explored associations between urban form and physical activity, and none has used the Space Syntax theory. Using a Canadian longitudinal dataset (n=5944), we estimated: 1) differences in physical activity between non-movers, and those relocating to neighbourhoods with less or more integrated stre...

In this interdisciplinary paper, we have identified key issues involved in the current knowledge on the built environments that support active behaviour and socioeconomic status disparity in cardiovascular disease and proposed future directions to further this research agenda.

そこで本稿では、我が国において実 施された座位行動研究から得られた 知見を中心に「高齢者の座位行動の実 態」、「高齢者の座位行動と健康指標の 関連」、「高齢者の座りすぎ対策」「、座位 行動研究の課題と健康支援の現場へ提 言」について論じていく。 ストレングス＆コンディショニングジャーナル (Volume 28. Number 2）

Background Sedentary behaviors and physical activity are likely to be affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, and sedentary lifestyles can increase subjective fatigue. The nonpharmaceutical policies imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic may also have adverse effects on fatigue. Objective This study has two aims: to examine the changes in sedentar...