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Knell G, Durand CP, Shuval K, et al. If You Build It, Will They Come? A Quasi-experiment of Sidewalk Improvements and Physical Activity. Transl J Am Coll Sports Med. 2018;3(9):66-71
Knell, G., Durand, C. P., Shuval, K., Kohl, H. W., Salvo, D., Olyuomi, A., & Gabriel, K. P. (2018). If You Build It, Will They Come? A Quasi-experiment of Sidewalk Improvements and Physical Activity. Translational journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, 3(9), 66-71.
Knell, Gregory, et al. "If You Build It, Will They Come? A Quasi-experiment of Sidewalk Improvements and Physical Activity." Translational journal of the American College of Sports Medicine vol. 3,9 (2018): 66-71.
Knell G, Durand CP, Shuval K, Kohl HW, Salvo D, Olyuomi A, Gabriel KP. If You Build It, Will They Come? A Quasi-experiment of Sidewalk Improvements and Physical Activity. Transl J Am Coll Sports Med. 2018 May;3(9):66-71. PMID: 30148210; PMCID: PMC6105313.
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Transl J Am Coll Sports Med. 2018 May;3(9):66-71.

If You Build It, Will They Come? A Quasi-experiment of Sidewalk Improvements and Physical Activity.

Translational journal of the American College of Sports Medicine

Gregory Knell, Casey P Durand, Kerem Shuval, Harold W Kohl, Deborah Salvo, Abiodun Olyuomi, Kelley Pettee Gabriel

Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHealth) at Houston School of Public Health, Houston, TX.
  2. Michael and Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, The University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHealth) at Houston School of Public Health in Austin, Austin, TX.
  3. Department of Intramural Research, Economic and Health Policy Research Program, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA.
  4. Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHealth) at Houston School of Public Health in Austin, Austin, TX.
  5. Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX.
  6. Environmental Health Service, Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX.
  7. Department of Women's Health, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX.

PMID: 30148210 PMCID: PMC6105313

Abstract

Improving sidewalks could lead to more physical activity through improved access, while providing a safe and defined space to walk. Yet, findings on the association between sidewalks and physical activity are inconclusive.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine changes in self-reported and accelerometer-derived physical activity associated with living near recently improved sidewalks in a diverse, community-based sample from the Houston Travel Related Activity in Neighborhoods (TRAIN) Study.

METHODS: Data are from 430 adults and include baseline and first annual follow-up (2014-2017). Fully adjusted, two-step regression models were built to test the hypothesis that living near (within 250-meters) an improved sidewalk was associated with greater levels of physical activity than not living near an improved sidewalk.

RESULTS: The majority of participants were female, non-Hispanic black, low income, low education, and nearly half lived near at least one improved sidewalk. After adjustment, among participants reporting some physical activity, living near two sidewalk improvements was associated with 1.6 times more minutes per week of walking and leisure-time physical activity than those not living near a sidewalk improvement (p<0.05). Based on accelerometry, which does not specifically quantify domain-specific physical activity, there were no significant associations.

CONCLUSION: Although these mixed findings warrant further research, results suggest that improving sidewalks may have an effect on participants' physical activity. Nonspecific definitions of sidewalk improvements could be contributing to type 1 error. Future work should also examine behavioral interventions alongside changes to the built environment to determine the effects on physical activity.

Keywords: accelerometer; built-environment; physical activity; quasi-experimental; urban health

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest The authors declare there is no conflict of interest. The results of the present study do not constitute an endorsement by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

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