TY - JOUR PY - 2018// TI - Development of a neighbourhood walkability index for Porto metropolitan area. How strongly is walkability associated with walking for transport? JO - International journal of environmental research and public health A1 - Ribeiro, Ana Isabel A1 - Hoffimann, Elaine SP - e15122767 EP - e15122767 VL - 15 IS - 12 N2 - The creation of walkable communities constitutes a cost-effective health promotion strategy, as walking is an accessible and free intervention for increasing physical activity and health. In this cross-sectional ecological study, we developed a walkability index for the Porto Metropolitan Area and we validated it by assessing its association with walking for transportation. Neighborhood walkability was measured using a geographic information system and resulted from the weighted sum of residential density, street connectivity, and a destination-based entropy index. The index was categorized into quintiles of increasing walkability. Among the 1,112,555 individuals living in the study area, 28.1% resided in neighborhoods in the upper quintile of walkability and 15.8% resided in the least walkable neighborhoods. Adjusted regression models revealed that individuals residing in the most walkable neighborhoods are 81% more likely to report walking for transportation, compared with those from the least walkable neighborhoods (odds ratio: 1.81; 95% confidence intervals: 1.76⁻1.87). These results suggest that community design strategies to improve walkability may promote walking behavior.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1661-7827 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15122767 ID - ref1 ER -