The Impact of the Built Environment on Urban Residents’ Physical Activity in Tropical Coastal Regions

This study aims to analyze how the built environment influences urban residents’ physical activity in tropical coastal regions, and to identify the relative weights of key environmental factors. Through semi-structured interviews with 31 residents in Hainan, China, and qualitative analysis using NVivo 14, five core categories influencing physical activity were identified. A conceptual model with the built environment as its central node was then developed to elucidate the interrelationships among these categories. To further weight the sub-categories, a follow-up Analytic Hierarchy Process survey was conducted with 12 experts. Integrating the two stages, it was found that the safety and site conditions are prerequisite conditions to ensure residents’ physical activity. On this basis, residents have the strongest perception of the incentive effect of site conditions and landscape. The findings provide a theoretical basis and practical reference for systematically evaluating the impact of the built environment on residents’ health and well-being, and offer guidance for planning and designing health-promoting places in tropical regions.