Associations between neighbourhood environment and mental health: The mediating role of different domains of physical activity

Introduction: The influence of neighbourhood environment on mental health is a prevalent concern in urban studies, with extensive research focusing on the role of physical activity in this relationship. However, few studies have explored the differential roles of various types of physical activity in this relationship or the associations of various types of physical activity with different aspects of the neighbourhood environment. Methods: This study drawn on data from a survey of community residents in Shanghai, China (n = 684) and employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to investigate the relationships between objective and subjective neighbourhood environment characteristics, mental health, and the roles of transport-related and leisure-time physical activities in this context. Results: Our SEM analysis reveal that 1) leisure-time physical activity plays a major role in the pathway by which the neighbourhood environment influences mental health, whereas transport-related physical activity has no impact, and 2) environmental perception plays a crucial role in these pathways, indicating that objective characteristics can influence mental health by mediating the subjective neighbourhood environment and leisure-time physical activity. Conclusions: Our findings underscore the importance of monitoring these mediators to enhance the precision of neighbourhood-based interventions and policies.