Walking and its association with the perception of the neighborhood built environment
Oral Presentation B2.1
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14288/hfjc.v14i3.486Keywords:
GIS, Neighbourhood, Physical Environment, Perception, WalkingAbstract
Background: Research indicates that the perception of various features of the neighborhood built environment supports walking among older adults. However, there is also an indication for the reversed direction. A walking intervention resulted in a more positive perception of the built environment. Consequently, the interpretation of the direction between walking and the perceived neighborhood built environment remains unclear. Purpose: This study examined if levels of walking in the neighborhood are related to different perceptions of the same built environment among older adults. Methods: In four neighborhoods in Metro Vancouver, Canada, and four neighborhoods in Metro Portland, United States, older adults reported their walking behavior and perception of the neighborhood built environment. Individuals were grouped if they lived 400 meters or closer to each other. The discordance between the individual and the group-wise perception of the same built environment was used as the outcome measure in linear regression models. Results: Higher walking levels were associated with increased positive evaluations of the built neighborhood environment. Older adults who walked more often for transport in the neighborhood also experienced the same neighborhood as more walkable (β = .19; p = .011) with better pedestrian infrastructure (β = .16; p = .037). Conclusions: The results support the notion that walking alters the environment’s perception. Bidirectional effects should be considered when studying the relationship between the perceived built environment and individual behavior. Funding: Study funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
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Copyright (c) 2021 Florian Herbolsheimer , Atiya Mahmood, Nadine Ungar, Habib Chaudhury
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