Associations of Location and Perceived Environmental Attributes with Walking in Neighborhoods

Abstract

Purpose.: Ecological models highlight the importance of environmental influences. We examined associations of coastal versus noncoastal location and perceived environmental attributes with neighborhood walking, total walking, and total activity. Methods.: Telephone interviews with 800 faculty and general staff of an Australian university. Results.: Men were significantly more likely to walk in their neighborhood if they lived in a coastal location (odds ratio [OR] = 1.66), and they highly rated environmental “aesthetics” (OR = 1.91), “convenience” of facilities (OR = 2.20), and “access” to facilities (OR = 1.98). For women, neighborhood walking was associated with high ratings of “convenience” (OR = 3.78) but was significantly less likely if they had high ratings for “access” (OR = 0.48). For total walking and total physical activity, few significant associations emerged. Conclusions.: Environmental attributes were related to walking in the neighborhood but not to more general activity indices. Understanding gender-specific environmental correlates of physical activity should be a priority.