Perceptions of Neighborhood Sidewalks on Walking and Physical Activity Patterns in a Southeastern Community in the US.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between perceptions of neighborhood sidewalks and race, and walking and physical activity (PA) patterns in a southeastern US community.

METHODS: A telephone survey was administered to a stratified sample of adults (N = 1148). Physical activity was categorized according to the CDC/ACSM recommendations. Respondents were also asked if they walked for at least 10 min at a time for recreation, exercise, transportation, or while at work.

RESULTS: A greater proportion (44%) of respondents who reported having neighborhood sidewalks were irregular walkers (OR = 1.88; 95% CI = 1.13, 3.11). For whites, (but not for non-whites) the perceived presence of sidewalks increased the odds for meeting recommended PA levels (P < 0.05; OR = 3.59, 95% CI = 1.05, 12.24).

CONCLUSIONS: Presence of neighborhood sidewalks was related to irregular walking levels of respondents. Sidewalk presence was related to PA in whites, but was not related to activity patterns of non-whites.