The use of formal concept analysis in evaluation of the relationship between the environment and physical activity of the residents in Czech regional cities

Current trends in research promote an interdisciplinary approach to the description of real conditions in the most precise way, which means a variety of variables enter into analysis. Therefore, accurate statistical analysis must be carried out. The aim of the study was to identify variables that indicate the presence of an environment conducive to physical activity in neighborhoods where a random sample of 15-65 year old inhabitants living in regional towns was taken (Brno, Ceske Budějovice, Hradec Kralove, Liberec, Olomouc, Ostrava, Plzeň and Usti nad Labem) using the method of Formal Concept Analysis (FCA). Environmental characteristics of neighborhoods and demographic data of respondents (384 females and 278 males) were obtained using the ANEWS questionnaire in Spring and Autumn of 2007. Respondents were asked to wear the pedometer Yamax SW 701 at the same time, to objectively monitor their week long physical activity (PA). Formal concept analysis is a method of exploratory data analysis that aims at the extraction of natural clusters from object attribute data tables. An increase in the number of steps per day is significantly (≥10%) influenced by the following neighborhood characteristics - streets highly suitable for walking, a pleasant neighborhood, access to facilities and services and participation in an organized PA (≥2 times a week). In males increased steps were further influenced by the number of nonsmokers in their category and the number of respondents who were not obese. An environment conducive to physical activity in neighborhoods of the Czech regional towns (according to the number of steps per day) can be described as having accessible facilities and services, an absence of cul-de-sacs, with walkable streets that are clean and having trees along the roads.