TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2013//
TI  - Do neighborhoods make people active, or do people make active neighborhoods? Evidence from a planned community in Austin, Texas
JO  - Preventing chronic disease
A1  - Calise, Tamara Vehige
A1  - Heeren, Timothy
A1  - Dejong, William
A1  - Dumith, Samuel C.
A1  - Kohl, Harold W.
SP  - E102
EP  - E102
VL  - 10
IS  - 
N2  - INTRODUCTION: Whether patterns of physical activity in different communities can be attributed to the built environment or instead reflect self-selection is not well understood. The objective of this study was to examine neighborhood preferences and behavior-specific physical activity among residents who moved to a new urbanist-designed community. METHODS: We used data from a 2009 survey (n = 424) that was designed and administered to evaluate neighborhood preferences and behavior-specific physical activity before and after residents moved. Data were grouped and stratified by pre-move physical activity levels into low-, middle-, and high-activity groups. We used Student's paired sample t test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test to compare pre- and post-move scores and used an analysis of variance to compare mean changes as a function of pre-move physical activity level. RESULTS: After moving, the high-activity group continued to be significantly more active than the middle- and low-activity groups (P < .001). However, we saw the biggest increase in pre- to post-move total physical activity in the low-activity group (mean increase, 176.3 min/wk) compared with the middle- (mean increase, 69.5 min/wk) and high-activity groups (mean decrease, 67.9 min/wk). All 3 groups had significant increases in walking inside the neighborhood for recreation. The preferred neighborhood features with the most significant pre- to post-move change scores were those associated with greater walkability. CONCLUSION: This study supports the role the environment plays in physical activity. These data suggest that moving to an activity-friendly neighborhood can positively affect physical activity levels, particularly among residents who had previously been least active.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1545-1151
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd10.120119
ID  - ref1
ER  -