Citation

Nichani V, Vena JE, Friedenreich CM, Christie C, McCormack GR. Prev. Med. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, TRW 3rd floor, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4Z6, Canada. Electronic address: gavin.mccormack@ucalgary.ca.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.105864

PMID

31654728

Abstract

Few Canadian studies have examined whether or not associations between neighbourhood walkability and physical activity differ by sex. We estimated associations between perceived neighbourhood walkability and physical activity among Canadian men and women. This study included cross-sectional survey data from participants in 'Alberta's Tomorrow Project' (Canada; n = 14,078), a longitudinal cohort study. The survey included socio-demographic items as well as the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the abbreviated Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS-A), which captured perceived neighbourhood built characteristics. We computed subscale and overall walkability scores from NEWS-A responses. Covariate-adjusted generalized linear models estimated the associations of participation (≥10 min/week) and minutes of different types of physical activity, including transportation walking (TW), leisure walking (LW), moderate-intensity physical activity (MPA), and vigorous-intensity physical activity (VPA) with walkability scores. Walkability was positively associated with participation in TW, LW, MPA and VPA and minutes of TW, LW, and VPA. Among men, a negative association was found between street connectivity and VPA participation. Additionally, crime safety was negatively associated with VPA minutes among men. Among women, pedestrian infrastructure was positively associated with LW participation and overall walkability was positively associated with VPA minutes. Notably, overall walkability was positively associated with LW participation among men and women. Different perceived neighbourhood walkability characteristics might be associated with participation and time spent in different types of physical activity among men and women living in Alberta. Interventions designed to modify perceptions of neighbourhood walkability might influence initiation or maintenance of different types of physical activity.

Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Language: en

Keywords

Built environment; Neighbourhood; Physical activity; Walkability; Walking