Citation

Shimura H, Sugiyama T, Winkler E, Owen N. J. Phys. Act. Health 2013; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Physical and Health Education, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Human Kinetics Publishers)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

21979883

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Neighborhood walkability shows significant positive relationship with residents' walking for transport in cross-sectional studies. We examined prospective relationships of neighborhood walkability with the change in walking behaviors over four years among middle-to-older aged adults (50 to 65 years) residing in Adelaide, Australia. METHODS: A baseline survey was conducted during 2003-2004, and a follow-up survey during 2007-2008. Walking for transport and walking for recreation were assessed at both times among 504 adults aged 50-65 years living in objectively-determined high- and low-walkable neighborhoods. Multi-level linear regression analyses examined the associations of neighborhood walkability with changes over four years in walking for transport and walking for recreation. RESULTS: On average, participants decreased their time spent in walking for transport (-4.1 minutes/day) and for recreation (-3.7 minutes/day) between the baseline and four-year follow-up. However, those living in high-walkable neighborhoods showed significantly smaller reduction (adjusted mean change: -1.1 minutes/day) in their time spent in walking for transport than did those living in low-walkable neighborhoods (-6.7 minutes/day). No such statistically-significant differences were found with the changes in walking for recreation. CONCLUSIONS: High-walkable neighborhoods may help middle-to-older aged adults to maintain their walking for transport.

Language: en