Association between Neighborhood Active Living Potential and Walking

Abstract

This paper examines the association between neighborhood active living potential and walking among middle-aged and older adults. A sample of 2,614 (61.1% women) persons aged 45 years or older and living in one of 112 census tracts in Montreal, Canada, were recruited between February and May of 2005 to participate in a 20-minute telephone survey. Data were linked to observational data on neighborhood active living potential in the 112 census tracts and analyzed through multilevel modeling. Greater density of destinations in the census tract was associated with greater likelihoods of walking for any reason at least 5 days per week for at least 30 minutes (odds ratio = 1.53, 95% confidence interval: 1.21, 1.94). Associations were attenuated but remained statistically significant after controlling for socioeconomic, health, lifestyle, and other physical activity characteristics. Sensitivity analyses showed that associations were robust across smaller and larger volumes of walking. No associations were found between dimensions of neighborhood active living potential and walking for recreational reasons. The authors conclude that a larger number and variety of neighborhood destinations in one's residential environment are associated with more walking and possibly more utilitarian walking among middle-aged or older adults.

Internal Consistency, Concurrent Validity, and Discriminant Validity of a Measure of Public Support for Policies for Active Living in Transportation (PAL-T) in a Population-based Sample of Adults

“…15 The modified version has also been shown to have good reliability and validity. 6,16,17 In the modified version, participants reported how many days they walked or cycled for at least 10 minutes at a time in the previous 7 days. 6,7,16 Participants who reported at least one episode of walking or cycling for at least 10 minutes per episode were asked to estimate the average number of minutes they walked per day in the previous week.…”

“…Utilitarian walking and cycling were estimated by subtracting the total walking or cycling minutes/week from the leisure walking or cycling minutes/week. 6 Utilitarian walking and cycling were dichotomized as either meeting the American College of Sports Medicine physical activity guidelines of at least 30 minutes of activity on 5 days/week or not meeting the guideline. 18 Smoking.…”

Use of a Systematic Observational Measure to Assess and Compare Walkability for Older Adults in Vancouver, British Columbia and Portland, Oregon Neighbourhoods

“…Similar to another study exploring neighbourhood environments and physical activity in older adults (Gauvin et al, 2008), the current study used census tract clusters as proxies for neighbourhoods. According to Statistics Canada (2001), census tracts (CTs) are small, relatively stable geographic areas within census metropolitan areas with a population that usually averages 4000 (minimum of 2000, maximum of 8000).…”

Ageing and Urbanization: Can Cities be Designed to Foster Active Ageing?

“…However, a large number of cross-sectional studies have explored the influence of specific neighbourhood characteristics. Positive findings include associations between neighbourhood psychosocial hazards and cardiovascular disease 77 ; neighbourhood walkability and physical activity 54,78,79 or lowered risk of depression 51 ; perceived neighbourhood safety and activity 80,81 ; physical activity and social cohesion, 82 or number of neighbourhood destinations 83 ; street connectivity and lower risk of obesity 84 ; living in areas of high religious affiliation and reduced mortality 85 ; and structural context and self rated health. 64 Other studies had negative or uncertain findings.…”