Walkability and its association with walking/cycling and body mass index among adults in different regions of Germany: a cross-sectional analysis of pooled data from five German cohorts

Abstract

ObjectivesTo examine three walkability measures (points of interest (POI), transit stations and impedance (restrictions to walking) within 640 m of participant’s addresses) in different regions in Germany and assess the relationships between walkability, walking/cycling and body mass index (BMI) using generalised additive models.SettingFive different regions and cities of Germany using data from five cohort studies.ParticipantsFor analysing walking/cycling behaviour, there were 6269 participants of a pooled sample from three cohorts with a mean age of 59.2 years (SD: 14.3) and of them 48.9% were male. For analysing BMI, there were 9441 participants of a pooled sample of five cohorts with a mean age of 62.3 years (SD: 12.8) and of them 48.5% were male.Outcomes(1) Self-reported walking/cycling (dichotomised into more than 30 min and 30 min and less per day; (2) BMI calculated with anthropological measures from weight and height.ResultsHigher impedance was associated with lower prevalence of walking/cycling more than 30 min/day (prevalence ratio (PR): 0.95; 95% CI 0.93 to 0.97), while higher number of POI and transit stations were associated with higher prevalence (PR 1.03; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.05 for both measures). Higher impedance was associated with higher BMI (ß: 0.15; 95% CI 0.04 to 0.25) and a higher number of POI with lower BMI (ß: −0.14; 95% CI −0.24 to 0.04). No association was found between transit stations and BMI (ß: 0.005, 95% CI −0.11 to 0.12). Stratified by cohort we observed heterogeneous associations between BMI and transit stations and impedance.ConclusionWe found evidence for associations of walking/cycling with walkability measures. Associations for BMI differed across cohorts.

Metropolitan Research. Methods and Approaches

“…Furthermore, through the use of highly standardized assessment and database tools, data of this study is still used in big national (e.g., Kieback et al 2019;Bächle et al 2018;De Las Heras Gala 2016) and international research cooperations (e.g., Locke et al 2015;McClelland et al 2015). Overall, many important results regarding environmental issues could be achieved (e.g., Lucht et al 2020;Kartschmit et al 2020;Orban et al 2017;Fuks et al 2016;Hoffmann et al 2015;Hertel et al 2010).…”

Versorgung und Prävention bei Adipositas bei Kindern und Jugendlichen – Ansätze der Community Medicine

“…B. die Zugänglichkeit von Fast Food [9,18], die geografische Verteilung von Bewegungsangeboten (z. B. Spielplätze) und die "Walkability" der Umgebung [20].…”

Health Determinants, Applications, and Methods: A Systematic Literature Review on the Relationships Between the Urban Transport of People and Health

“…It seeks to assess people’s perception of 67 items, organized into nine subscales representing land-use mix diversity, neighborhood recreation facilities, residential density, land-use mix-access, street connectivity, walking/cycling facilities, neighborhood aesthetics, pedestrian and road traffic safety, and crime safety ( 69 ). Perez Barbosa et al ( 33 ), Adlakha et al ( 34 ), Adlakha and Parra ( 38 ), Panter et al ( 41 ), Stefansdottir ( 61 ), Collins et al ( 62 ), Koohsari et al ( 63 , 64 ), McCormack et al ( 65 ), Brüchert et al ( 66 ), Pimenta et al ( 67 ), Sun et al ( 68 ), Noonan et al ( 69 ), Algoday et al ( 70 ), Amini et al ( 71 ), Borchardt et al ( 72 ), Cain et al ( 73 ), Cerin et al ( 74 , 75 ), Crane et al ( 76 ), Delisle Nyström et al ( 77 ), Fitch et al ( 78 ), Fortune et al ( 79 ), Jeon et al ( 80 ), Kärmeniemi et al ( 81 ), Kartschmit et al ( 82 ), Kriit et al ( 83 ), Lee ( 84 ), Levasseur et al ( 85 ), Mäki-Opas et al ( 86 ), Marquet and Miralles-Guasch ( 87 ), Mohsen and Ahmadieh ( 88 ), Mouratidis ( 89 ), Nordh et al ( 90 ), Oliver et al ( 91 ), Sallis et al ( 92 ), Su et al ( 93 ), Tewahade et al ( 94 ), Yang and Zhou ( 95 ), Yang et al ( 96 ), and Žaltauskė and Petrauskienė ( 97 ) analyzed the associations among built environment characteristics, AT use, and health aspects.…”