The Relationship of Regular Physical Activity and the Environment with Overall Physical and Mental Health

Dear Colleagues,

The World Health Organization has documented the positive impact of physical activity on chronic disease morbidity and mortality, quality of life, and mental as well as physical well-being across the lifespan. Despite the notable benefits, participation rates across the globe remain less than optimal, with many populations not engaging in enough physical activity to gain these benefits. Within a social ecological framework there are many noteworthy influences on participation; however, environmental influences have widespread implications for population-level health. Built and natural environments can provide support or represent barriers to regular physical activity participation for many populations. This Special Issue invites quality research about the relationship between physical activity, the environment, and health outcomes. We aim to highlight innovative studies of all kinds (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, observational, and interventions) that examine this relationship in different settings and populations. Papers addressing these topics are invited for this review, especially those considering the social determinants of health and notable inequities.  

Prof. Dr. Melissa Bopp
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• physical activity
• physical health
• mental health
• environment
• social ecological model
• health inequities