Background
The physical attributes of residential neighborhoods, particularly the connectedness
of streets and the proximity of destinations, can influence walking behaviors. To
provide the evidence for public health advocacy on activity-friendly environments,
large-scale studies in different countries are needed. Associations of neighborhood
physical environments with adults’ walking for transport and walking for recreation
must be better understood.
Method
Walking for transport and walking for recreation were assessed with a validated survey
among 2650 adults recruited from neighborhoods in an Australian city between July
2003 and June 2004, with neighborhoods selected to have either high or low walkability,
based on objective measures of connectedness and proximity derived from geographic
information systems (GIS) databases. The study design was stratified by area-level
socioeconomic status, while analyses controlled for participant age, gender, individual-level
socioeconomic status, and reasons for neighborhood self-selection.
Results
A strong independent positive association was found between weekly frequency of walking
for transport and the objectively derived neighborhood walkability index. Preference
for walkable neighborhoods moderated the relationship of walkability with weekly minutes,
but not the frequency of walking for transport—walkability was related to higher frequency
of transport walking, irrespective of neighborhood self-selection. There were no significant
associations between environmental factors and walking for recreation.
Conclusions
Associations of neighborhood walkability attributes with walking for transport were
confirmed in Australia. They accounted for a modest but statistically significant
proportion of the total variation of the relevant walking behavior. The physical environment
attributes that make up the walkability index are potentially important candidate
factors for future environmental and policy initiatives designed to increase physical
activity.
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© 2007 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
