Benedicte Deforche

Biographic Data

ID	313122
NAME	Benedicte Deforche
GIVEN NAMES	Benedicte
FAMILY NAME	Deforche
SIGNATURE	DEFORCHE B
AFFILIATIONS	Ghent University
ORCID	0000-0002-1064-0525
VERIFIED	Yes
TOTAL WORKS	110
TOTAL CITATIONS	126
AUTHOR COUNT	110
EDITOR COUNT	0
FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR	2005
LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR	2026
H-INDEX	7

The social nature of parks
Open AccessElise Rivera, Benedicte Deforche et al.ARTICLEHealth Promotion International2026
Parks can support physical activity and socializing. While children and adolescents’ use of these settings is largely socially driven, little is known about relationships between social factors and park visitation and physical activity. This study examined associations between social interactions in parks and park use behaviour among children and adolescents, respectively. Children (8–12 years, n = 213) and adolescents (13–18 years, n = 210) self…
Which cognitive tests are used to examine the acute effect of physical activity on cognition in healthy adults aged 50 and older? - A systematic review
Open AccessFien De Block, Delfien Van Dyck et al.ARTICLEPsychology & Health2026
Preferred park features for maximising park visitation, physical activity and social interaction among adults
Open AccessElise Rivera, Benedicte Deforche et al.ARTICLECities2026
A sense of safety from strangers was most important for all park use behaviours • Good maintenance was the 2nd most preferred for park visitation and socialising • Walking paths and toilets were 2nd and 3rd most important for physical activity • A peaceful, relaxed setting was the 3rd most important feature for park visitation • Barbecue/picnic areas were 3rd most important for social interaction in parks
Associations between park visitation and physical, mental and social health among older adults
Open AccessElise Rivera, Benedicte Deforche et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2026
Population ageing is a growing public health concern. Parks can play a central role in promoting healthy ageing by offering accessible spaces for physical activity, social interaction, and mental restoration. However, little is known about how older adults use parks across seasons, what activities they engage in, and who they visit with and how this differs according to season and health status. Associations between older adults’ park visitation …
Key considerations in applying youth participatory action research
Open AccessKatrina Messiha, Mai J M Chinapaw et al.ARTICLEInternational Journal of…2026
Youth participatory action research (YPAR) can offer young people opportunities to develop research skills and leadership. While YPAR is increasingly applied across diverse contexts, data on the considerations that guide the design, facilitation and implementation of YPAR is scarce. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore academics’ and practitioners’ (i.e. non-academic professionals engaged in designing, facilitating or implementin…
Where does it start, where does it stop?’
Open AccessSarah Devo, Piet Bracke et al.ARTICLESocial Psychology of Education2026References: 33
Active travel as constrained necessity or choice
Open AccessYasemin Inaç, Suzannah D'Hooghe et al.ARTICLEHealth & Place2026References: 8
Urban environment perceptions and mental well-being in Belgian older adults
Open AccessNoortje Jacobs, Jelle Van Cauwenberg et al.ARTICLEHealth Promotion International2025
In 2021, ~14% of older adults experienced mental health disorders within the past year. Socio-ecological models highlight the importance of neighborhood characteristics in shaping mental health, particularly for older adults who are often more dependent on their surrounding environment due to diminished physical abilities. Health inequities at the neighborhood level are well-documented, with living in low-income neighborhoods often associated wit…
Examining park features that encourage physical activity and social interaction among adults
Open AccessJ Veitch, Elise Rivera et al.ARTICLEHealth Promotion International2025
Urban parks are a critical setting that can support good health by providing opportunities for physical activity and social interaction. Therefore, it is necessary to better understand which park features are most important for encouraging active park use and social interaction. This study examined the perceived importance of park features for encouraging park visitation, park-based physical activity, and social interaction among adults in Austra…
School staff experiences on involvement in a co-creation process
Open AccessJanneke de Boer, Lea Rahel Delfmann et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2025
School staff indicated that excessive demands outweigh the benefits experienced during the co-creation process. Therefore, school staff preferred less time-intensive processes. Improving students outcomes was school staff's motivation to be involved, which asks for processes with student-related goals and observable student benefits. Moreover, school staff needs to be acknowledged as an expert and valued for their involvement. These results shoul…
Your project or our project? Evaluating the participatory development of an adolescent healthy sleep intervention
Open AccessAnn Vandendriessche, Maïté Verloigne et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2025
Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) is a promising approach to develop health promotion interventions, but more evaluation is necessary to optimize collaboration with youth. This study evaluates the participatory process of developing a school-based healthy sleep intervention from the perspective of participating adolescents. In three schools, action teams (n = 3-12, 13-15-year-olds) held weekly sessions (n = 29-34 per school) guided by th…
Improving employer and employee well-being in small and medium-sized enterprises in Flanders
Open AccessFleur Van De Wielle, Robin Vandecasteele et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2025
This realist evaluation protocol aims to elucidate the mechanisms and contextual factors influencing the FitBonus program's potential success in improving physical, mental, and social well-being, as well as perceived workability. The insights gained from this evaluation will offer actionable recommendations for optimizing the program's implementation and effectiveness. Additionally, by enhancing the understanding of how well-being interventions w…
Co-adapting a healthy sleep intervention with adolescents
Open AccessLea Rahel Delfmann, Ann Vandendriessche et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2025
This study is registered as clinical trial (NCT05838339). Registration date: 07.11.2022
Association of exposure to the temporary abstinence campaign ‘Tournée Minérale’ with alcohol consumption among male and female participants
Open AccessAnnelies Thienpondt, Benedicte Deforche et al.ARTICLEInternational Journal of Drug…2025
The meaning of ethical collaborative research according to young people
Open AccessRabab Chrifou, Farah Focquaert et al.ARTICLEInternational Journal of…2025
Incorporating the perspectives of young people regarding their perspectives on ethical collaborative research may enrich our current understanding of ethical practices within such research, as young people are capable of providing creative, innovative and novel perspectives that otherwise remain unknown to the adult academic establishment. Youth, Ethics & Participation (YEP), a qualitative study conducted as part of the Health CASCADE project, ai…
Designing outdoor fitness areas for older adults
Open AccessChahana Paudel, Anna Timperio et al.ARTICLELeisure Studies2025Cited by: 1References: 32
This study aimed to examine the relative importance of micro-level design features of outdoor fitness areas preferred by older adults and whether preferences varied according to gender, park accompaniment, and mobility status. A series of Adaptive Choice-Based Conjoint (ACBC) tasks were completed by older adults (n = 372, 65-93 years, 57% female) in an online survey. Ten different micro-level design features of outdoor fitness areas were examined…
Loneliness in newly-arrived adolescents in Flanders
Open AccessKatrijn Delaruelle, Sarah Devo et al.ARTICLEInternational Journal of…2025Cited by: 1References: 8
Experiences of loneliness amongst newly-arrived adolescent migrants
Open AccessSarah Devo, Sarah Devos et al.ARTICLEInternational Journal of…2025Cited by: 2References: 5
Effects of park renovation on park use
Open AccessAmber Van Puyvelde, Benedicte Deforche et al.ARTICLECities2025
Understanding factors influencing the use of specialized outdoor fitness equipment among older adults in Australia
Open AccessChahana Paudel, Anna Timperio et al.ARTICLEHealth Promotion International2024
This study assessed the use of newly installed outdoor fitness equipment (OFE) designed for older adults in two urban parks in Melbourne, Australia, and explored barriers and facilitators to its use among older adults. Direct observations were conducted using System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) to assess OFE usage by older adults (≥60 years) at two time points: T1 (November 2021) and T2 (October 2022). Additionally, 1…
Home-delivered meal boxes in a family setting
Open AccessMarjolijn Vos, Benedicte Deforche et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2024
Home-delivered meal boxes might be promising to enhance families' meal practices. This study could inform social marketeers and health promotors to adopt an optimal strategy to reach families
Process evaluation of the Belgian one-month-without alcohol campaign ‘Tournée Minérale’
Open AccessAnnelies Thienpondt, Jelle Van Cauwenberg et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2024
Future editions of TMC should try to decrease perceived adverse effects (e.g. by providing attractive non-alcoholic beverages) and can benefit from having a forum where people can share experiences
Supporting vulnerable families’ meal practices
Open AccessMarjolijn Vos, Vos Marjolijn et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2024
The study protocol was pre‐registered prior to data collection at Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05595551-27/10/2022)
The impact of Covid-19 lockdown on physical activity and sedentary behaviour in secondary school teachers
Open AccessYanni Verhavert, Tom Deliens et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2024
During the lockdown, we found in our sample that Flemish secondary school teachers showed an increase in SB that was 9 times as high as their PA increase. As a government, education network or school, it is crucial to sensitize, promote, and facilitate sufficient MVPA and/or walking, but likewise to discourage SB during pandemic-induced lockdowns
Associations of habitual sedentary time with executive functioning and short-term memory in 7th and 8th grade adolescents
Open AccessVeerle Van Oeckel, Louise Poppe et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2024
This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov in January 2020 (NCT04327414; released on March 11, 2020)

Environmental and psychosocial correlates of physical activity in Portuguese and Belgian adults
Open AccessIlse De Bourdeaudhuij, Pedro J Teixeira et al.ARTICLEPublic Health Nutrition2005
Objectives To investigate differences in reported physical activity levels and in perceived environmental and psychosocial correlates of activity between Portuguese and Belgian adults; and to analyse the relative contribution of environmental and psychosocial variables in explaining physical activity within different contexts in Portugal and Belgium. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting One city in Portugal (Oeiras) and one in Belgium (Ghent). S…
The effects of a middle-school healthy eating intervention on adolescents' fat and fruit intake and soft drinks consumption
Open AccessLeen Haerens, Evelien Opdecam et al.ARTICLEPublic Health Nutrition2007
Objectives To evaluate the effects of a middle-school healthy eating promotion intervention combining environmental changes and computer-tailored feedback, with and without an explicit parent involvement component. Design Clustered randomised controlled trial. Setting Fifteen West-Flemish (Belgian) middle schools. Subjects A random sample of 15 schools with 2991 pupils in 7th and 8th grades was randomly assigned to an intervention group with pare…
Explaining the effect of a 1-year intervention promoting physical activity in middle schools
Open AccessLeen Haerens, E Cerin et al.ARTICLEPublic Health Nutrition2008
Objective The aim of the present study was to examine the mediation effects of changes in psychosocial determinants of physical activity (attitude, social support, self-efficacy, perceived benefits and barriers) on changes in physical activity. Design One-year intervention study with baseline and 1-year post measures of physical activity habits and psychosocial correlates. Setting Fifteen middle schools. Subjects Boys and girls ( n = 2840) aged 1…
Neighbourhood walkability and its particular importance for adults with a preference for passive transport
Open AccessDelfien Van Dyck, Benedicte Deforche et al.ARTICLEHealth & Place2008Cited by: 9References: 3
Neighborhood SES and walkability are related to physical activity behavior in Belgian adults
Open AccessDelfien Van Dyck, Greet Cardon et al.ARTICLEPreventive Medicine2010
Physical activity as a mediator of the associations between neighborhood walkability and adiposity in Belgian adults
Open AccessDelfien Van Dyck, E Cerin et al.ARTICLEHealth & Place2010Cited by: 7References: 7
Physical environmental correlates of self-reported and objectively assessed physical activity in Belgian type 2 diabetes patients
Open AccessKarlijn De Greef, Delfien Van Dyck et al.ARTICLEHealth & Social Care in the…2010Cited by: 3References: 4
Despite the well-known beneficial effects of physical activity (PA) on the long-term outcomes of type 2 diabetes patients, the majority of this patient group remains inactive. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the most important PA determinants in type 2 diabetes patients in order to develop efficacious interventions to increase PA participation. The main aim of this study was to investigate the associations of physical environmental facto…
Socio-demographic, psychosocial and home-environmental attributes associated with adults' domestic screen time
Open AccessDelfien Van Dyck, Greet Cardon et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2011
Educational level, age, self-efficacy and pros/cons were the most important correlates identified in this study. If further cross-sectional and longitudinal research can confirm these findings, tailored interventions focusing on both psychosocial and environmental factors in specific population subgroups might be most effective to reduce domestic screen time
Measuring physical activity using accelerometry in 13–15-year-old adolescents
Open AccessFemke De Meester, Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij et al.ARTICLEPublic Health Nutrition2011
Objective The present study aimed to examine the impact of non-wear activities registered in diaries when using accelerometers to assess physical activity (PA) in young adolescents. Design Data arise from a large-scale cross-sectional study on PA. PA was objectively assessed using ActigraphTM accelerometers (Actigraph MTI, Manufacturing Technology Inc., Pensacola, FL, USA) during seven consecutive days. Non-wear time activity diaries were provide…
Relationship between the physical environment and physical activity in older adults
Open AccessJelle Van Cauwenberg, Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij et al.ARTICLEHealth & Place2011
Do adults like living in high-walkable neighborhoods? Associations of walkability parameters with neighborhood satisfaction and possible mediators
Open AccessDelfien Van Dyck, Greet Cardon et al.ARTICLEHealth & Place2011Cited by: 10References: 2
Relationships between neighborhood walkability and adults' physical activity
Open AccessDelfien Van Dyck, Greet Cardon et al.ARTICLEHealth & Place2011Cited by: 12References: 4
Urban–Rural Differences in Physical Activity in Belgian Adults and the Importance of Psychosocial Factors
Open AccessDelfien Van Dyck, Greet Cardon et al.ARTICLEJournal of Urban Health2011Cited by: 4References: 3
Environmental factors influencing older adults’ walking for transportation
Open AccessJelle Van Cauwenberg, Veerle Van Holle et al.ARTICLEInternational Journal of…2012
BACKGROUND: Current knowledge on the relationship between the physical environment and walking for transportation among older adults (≥ 65 years) is limited. Qualitative research can provide valuable information and inform further research. However, qualitative studies are scarce and fail to include neighborhood outings necessary to study participants' experiences and perceptions while interacting with and interpreting the local social and physic…
Relationship between the physical environment and different domains of physical activity in European adults
Open AccessVeerle Van Holle, Benedicte Deforche et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2012
Physical environmental factors related to walking and cycling in older adults
Open AccessJelle Van Cauwenberg, Peter Clarys et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2012
Urban residents were more likely to walk for transportation daily compared to semi-urban and rural residents. Daily cycling for transportation was less prevalent among urban compared to semi-urban residents. Access to destinations appeared to be important for promoting both walking and cycling for transportation and recreation across all demographic subgroups. Additionaly, feelings of unsafety were associated with lower rates of walking for trans…
Active living neighborhoods
Open AccessFemke De Meester, Delfien Van Dyck et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2012
Neighborhood walkability was related to accelerometer-based physical activity only among adolescent boys and girls living in low-SES neighborhoods. The relation of built environment to adolescent physical activity may depend on the context
Physical activity and beverage consumption in preschoolers
Open AccessMarieke De Craemer, Ellen De Decker et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2013
Although previous research shows need of change in obesity-related behaviours, the participants in the current study didn't perceive such. The awareness of parents and teachers needs to be raised concerning their shared responsibility about healthy behaviours in preschoolers. Providing preschool teachers with ready-to-use classroom material will encourage them to change physical activity and beverage consumption, and to implement related activiti…
Factors influencing mode of transport in older adolescents
Open AccessDorien Simons, Peter Clarys et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2013
For older adolescents, the interplay between short travel time, high autonomy, good social support, low costs, good access to transport modes and facilities, and good weather was important for choosing active transport over other transport forms for travelling short distances to various destinations. Other well-known factors such as safety, ecology and health seemed not to have a big influence on their transport mode choice
Changes in weight and body composition during the first semester at university. A prospective explanatory study
Open AccessTom Deliens, Peter Clarys et al.ARTICLEAppetite2013Cited by: 3References: 30
Do psychosocial factors moderate the association between neighborhood walkability and adolescents' physical activity
Open AccessFemke De Meester, Delfien Van Dyck et al.ARTICLESocial Science & Medicine2013Cited by: 4References: 46
Understanding the relationships between the physical environment and physical activity in older adults
Open AccessMika Moran, Jelle Van Cauwenberg et al.ARTICLEInternational Journal of…2014
Changes in physical activity during the transition from primary to secondary school in Belgian children
Open AccessFemke De Meester, Delfien Van Dyck et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2014
PA changed after the transition to secondary school. In general, secondary schools seem more likely to foster strategies to promote PA during school hours than primary schools who seem more likely to foster strategies to promote PA after school. Changes in school environmental characteristics may contribute to changes in PA. Thus, if confirmed in future studies, efforts are needed to implement these components in schools as early as possible to p…
Determinants of eating behaviour in university students
Open AccessTom Deliens, Peter Clarys et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2014
This is the first European study examining perceived determinants of eating behaviour in university students and collecting ideas and recommendations for healthy eating interventions in a university specific setting. University characteristics (residency, exams, etc.) influence the relationships between individual as well as social environmental determinants and university students' eating behaviour, and should therefore be taken into account whe…
Associations between different types of physical activity and teachers’ perceived mental, physical, and work-related health
Open AccessInge Van Bogaert, Inge Bogaert et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2014
Because secondary school teachers' levels of perceived health are low, they are an important target group for interventions aiming to improve health. Only leisure-time PA was associated with more positive perceived health. This finding may indicate that teachers performing more exercise during leisure time, or in a more autonomous way, may be more resistant to physical and mental health problems. Future research should verify whether promoting le…