Citation

Zenk SN, Wilbur J, Wang E, McDevitt J, Oh AY, Block R, McNeil S, Savar N. Health Educ. Behav. 2009; 36(1): 167-181.

Affiliation

University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. szenk@uic.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1090198108321249

PMID

18669878

PMCID

PMC2726823

Abstract

This secondary analysis examined relationships between the environment and adherence to a walking intervention among 252 urban and suburban, midlife African American women. Participants received an enhanced or minimal behavioral intervention. Walking adherence was measured as the percentage of prescribed walks completed. Objective measures of the women's neighborhoods included walkability (land use mix, street intersection density, housing unit density, public transit stop density), aesthetics (physical deterioration, industrial land use), availability of outdoor (recreational open space) and indoor (recreation centers, shopping malls) walking facilities/spaces, and safety (violent crime incidents). Ordinary least squares regression estimated relationships. The presence of one and especially both types of indoor walking facilities were associated with greater adherence. No associations were found between adherence and other environmental variables. The effect of the enhanced intervention on adherence did not differ by environmental characteristics. Aspects of the environment may influence African American women who want to be more active.

Language: en