Neighborhood-Based Differences in Physical Activity: An Environment Scale Evaluation

This study evaluated a neighborhood environment survey and compared the physical activity and weight status of the residents in 2 neighborhoods. On 2 occasions, 107 adults from neighborhoods with differing "walkability" were selected to complete a survey on their neighborhood environment....

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAmerican journal of public health (1971) Vol. 93; no. 9; pp. 1552 - 1558
Main Authors Saelens, Brian E, Sallis, James F, Black, Jennifer B, Chen, Diana
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington, DC Am Public Health Assoc 01.09.2003
American Public Health Association
American Journal of Public Health 2003
Subjects
Adult
Automobile Driving - statistics & numerical data
Biological and medical sciences
Body Weight - ethnology
California
Censuses
City Planning
Connectivity
Consent
Demographics
Environment
Environment Design
Environment. Living conditions
Exercise
Exercise - psychology
Health Surveys
Housing. Living conditions
Humans
Land use
Measures
Medical sciences
Neighborhoods
Neighbourhoods
Obesity - epidemiology
Physical activity
Polls & surveys
Public health
Public Health - statistics & numerical data
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Research and Practice
Research Design
Residence Characteristics - classification
Residence Characteristics - statistics & numerical data
Safety
Self Efficacy
Urban Health
Urban planning
Walking
Walking - statistics & numerical data
Weight
California
Physical exercise
Human
Evaluation
Walking
Neighbourhood
Public health
Weight
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Summary:This study evaluated a neighborhood environment survey and compared the physical activity and weight status of the residents in 2 neighborhoods. On 2 occasions, 107 adults from neighborhoods with differing "walkability" were selected to complete a survey on their neighborhood environment. Physical activity was assessed by self-report and by accelerometer; height and weight were assessed by self-report. Neighborhood environment characteristics had moderate to high test-retest reliabilities. Residents of high-walkability neighborhoods reported higher residential density, land use mix, street connectivity, aesthetics, and safety. They had more than 70 more minutes of physical activity and had lower obesity prevalence (adjusted for individual demographics) than did residents of low-walkability neighborhoods. The reliability and validity of self-reported neighborhood environment subscales were supported. Neighborhood environment was associated with physical activity and overweight prevalence.
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Peer Reviewed
Requests for reprints should be sent to Brian E. Saelens, PhD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Division of Psychology, MLC 3015, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45229 (e-mail: brian.saelens@cchmc.org).
Contributors…B. E. Saelens conceptualized and designed the study, organized and supervised data collection and management, completed data analyses, and led the writing of the article. J. F. Sallis conceptualized and designed the study, supervised data collection, and contributed to the writing. J. B. Black and D. Chen were involved in data collection and management, data analysis, and data interpretation. All authors edited drafts of the article.
ISSN:0090-0036
1541-0048
DOI:10.2105/AJPH.93.9.1552