['Walkability' and physical activity - results of empirical studies based on the 'Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS)'].

Objective: 'Walkability' is mainly assessed by the NEWS questionnaire (Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale); in Germany this questionnaire is widely unknown. We now try to fill this gap by providing a systematic overview of empirical studies based on the NEWS.
Methods: A systematic review was conducted concerning original papers including empirical analyses based on the NEWS. The results are summarised and presented in tables.
Results: Altogether 31 publications could be identified. Most of them focus on associations with the variable 'physical activity', and they often report significant associations with at least some of the scales included in the NEWS. Due to methodological differences between the studies it is difficult to compare the results.
Conclusion: The concept of 'walkability' should also be established in the German public health discussion. A number of methodological challenges remain to be solved, such as the identification of those scales and items in the NEWS that show the strongest associations with individual health behaviours.
(© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)