Abstract
BackgroundHigher street connectivity, land use mix and residential density (collectively referred to as neighbourhood walkability) have been linked to higher levels of walking. The objective of our study was to summarize the current body of knowledge on the association between neighbourhood walkability and biosensor-assessed daily steps in adults.MethodsWe conducted a systematic search of PubMed, SCOPUS, and Embase (Ovid) for articles published prior to May 2014 on the association between walkability (based on Geographic Information Systems-derived street connectivity, land use mix, and/or residential density) and daily steps (pedometer or accelerometer-assessed) in adults. The mean differences in daily steps between adults living in high versus low walkable neighbourhoods were pooled across studies using a Bayesian hierarchical model.ResultsThe search strategy yielded 8,744 unique abstracts. Thirty of these underwent full article review of which six met the inclusion criteria. Four of these studies were conducted in Europe and two were conducted in Asia. A meta-analysis of four of these six studies indicates that participants living in high compared to low walkable neighbourhoods accumulate 766 more steps per day (95 % credible interval 250, 1271). This accounts for approximately 8 % of recommended daily steps.ConclusionsThe results of European and Asian studies support the hypothesis that higher neighbourhood walkability is associated with higher levels of biosensor-assessed walking in adults. More studies on this association are needed in North America.
Highlights
Higher street connectivity, land use mix and residential density have been linked to higher levels of walking
The following inclusion criteria were applied: 1) study population ≥18 years, 2) the objective of the study was to estimate the associations between street connectivity, land use mix, and/or residential density (derived using Geographic Information Systems (GIS)) and pedometer or accelerometer-assessed daily steps, 3) effect estimates were reported, and 4) the article was published in English
In the remaining three studies [32,33,34], neighbourhood walkability was defined for each participant after they were selected into the study
Summary
Land use mix and residential density (collectively referred to as neighbourhood walkability) have been linked to higher levels of walking. Land use mix and residential density are three large-scale features of neighbourhood. Apartments are located above street-level shops and in close proximity to churches, schools and other services making it convenient for residents to walk to these locations [13]. This is in contrast to many newer suburban neighbourhoods where wide separation between residential and commercial land makes motorized transportation to points of interest a near necessity [15]. As a result, when estimating their associations with health outcomes, researchers commonly aggregate these measures into an index that captures neighbourhood walkability – that is, the degree to which a neighbourhood is “walking friendly” [13, 18]
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