Inviting neighborhoods encourage exercise
BY BECKY HAM, SCIENCE WRITER
HEALTH BEHAVIOR NEWS SERVICE
People who live in neighborhoods with good lighting, trustworthy neighbors and plenty of parks and playgrounds are more likely to walk and get regular exercise, according to a survey conducted in the southeastern United States.
Cheryl L. Addy, Ph.D., of the University of South Carolina and colleagues interviewed 1,194 adults in a rural southeastern county to find out which social and environmental aspects of a community might influence its residents’ exercise habits. Their findings are published in the March issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
Younger residents were also more likely to be physically active, the researchers found. Those who had physically active neighbors and sidewalks in their community and who used a nearby mall for walking were more likely to be regular walkers.
Residents were considered physically active if they reported 30 minutes or more of moderate physical activity five or more days a week or 20 minutes or more of vigorous physical activity three or more days a week. Regular walkers were those who reported walking 30 or more minutes at any pace five or more days per week.
Overall, neighborhood features — those within a half-mile radius or 10-minute walk from the home — were more likely to affect physical activity and walking than community features like swimming pools or bike trails within a 10-mile radius or 20-minute drive from the home.
The findings suggest programs to encourage more physical activity “should target proximal locations — such as private recreational facilities, parks, playgrounds and sports fields — as well as adequate lighting,” Addy says.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
Health Behavior News Service: (202) 387-2829 or www.hbns.org.
Interviews: Contact Cheryl L. Addy at (803)777-5030 or caddy@gwm.sc.edu.
American Journal of Public Health: (202) 777-2511 or www.ajph.org.
Center for the Advancement of Health
Contact: Ira R. Allen
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