Citation

Zlot AI, Schmid TL. Am. J. Health Promot. 2005; 19(4): 314-317.

Affiliation

Office of Family Health, Orgon Department of Human Services, 800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 825, Portland, OR 97232, USA. amy_zlot@yahoo.com

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, SAGE Publications)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

15768927

Abstract

PURPOSE: Compare walking and bicycling for transportation and recreation with the percentage of the community devoted to parklands. METHODS: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (N = 206,992), Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey (N = 409,025), and Trust for Public Land (N = 55) data were used to estimate recreational walking and bicycling, utilitarian walking and bicycling, and parkland as a percentage of city acreage. Data were linked at the metropolitan statistical area or city level (N = 34). Pearson correlation coefficients were used to assess the associations among recreational and utilitarian walking and bicycling and parkland acreage. RESULTS: Utilitarian walking and bicycling and parkland acreage were significantly correlated (r = .62, p < .0001). No significant relationships were observed for leisure time walking or bicycling. DISCUSSION: Communities with more parks had significantly higher levels of walking and bicycling for transportation. Urban design features associated with leisure time physical activity might differ from those associated with transportation-related physical activity. Further studies are needed to articulate the relationships among community attributes and purposes of physical activity.