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Public open spaces and walking for recreation: moderation by attributes of pedestrian environments.
- Source :
-
Preventive medicine [Prev Med] 2014 May; Vol. 62, pp. 25-9. Date of Electronic Publication: 2014 Feb 08. - Publication Year :
- 2014
-
Abstract
- Objective: This study examined whether attributes of pedestrian environments moderate the relationships between access to public open spaces (POS) and adults' recreational walking.<br />Methods: Data were collected from participants of the North West Adelaide Health Study in 2007. Recreational walking was determined using self-reported walking frequency. Measures of POS access (presence, count, and distance to the nearest POS) were assessed using a Geographic Information System. Pedestrian environmental attributes included aesthetics, walking infrastructure, barrier/traffic, crime concern, intersection density, and access to walking trails. Regression analyses examined whether associations between POS access and recreational walking were moderated by pedestrian environmental attributes.<br />Results: The sample included 1574 participants (45% men, mean age: 55). POS access measures were not associated with recreational walking. However, aesthetics, walking infrastructure, and access to walking trail were found to moderate the POS-walking relationships. The presence of POS was associated with walking among participants with aesthetically pleasing pedestrian environments. Counter-intuitively, better access to POS was associated with recreational walking for those with poorer walking infrastructure or no access to walking trails.<br />Conclusion: Local pedestrian environments moderate the relationships between access to POS and recreational walking. Our findings suggest the presence of complex relationships between POS availability and pedestrian environments.<br /> (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Subjects :
- Chronic Disease prevention & control
Cohort Studies
Effect Modifier, Epidemiologic
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Geographic Information Systems
Health Behavior
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Middle Aged
Regression Analysis
Risk Factors
Sense of Coherence
Socioeconomic Factors
South Australia
Spatial Analysis
Surveys and Questionnaires
Walking statistics & numerical data
Architectural Accessibility
Environment Design
Public Facilities
Walking psychology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1096-0260
- Volume :
- 62
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Preventive medicine
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 24518008
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.01.030