Impact of neighbourhood walkability on weekly walking minutes among adults with visual impairments: A preliminary study

Abstract

Weekly and consistent physical activity can help minimize the risk of preventable disease and improve mental health and cognitive function among adults. Despite these benefits, adults with visual impairments tend to not meet physical activity recommendations. The purpose of this preliminary study was to examine how neighbourhood walk score (walkability) is associated with weekly walking minutes in adults with visual impairments. Participants were recruited from two visual impairment–related listservs in the United States. A total of 88 participants (aged 22–85 years; 78% female) were included. Participants completed an online survey including demographic, walking duration, and zip code questions. Linear regression analyses were performed to determine whether there were significant associations between walkability and weekly walking minutes. Walkability scores were not significantly related to walking minutes per week ( p = .84), but age was negatively associated with walking minutes per week (β = −.16), holding other factors constant. Neighbourhood walkability was not significantly associated with walking minutes per week among adults with visual impairments in this study. As these adults age, the amount of walking decreased. Future research in this line of inquiry should expand to include other variables that may influence the relationship between walkability and walking minutes per week and examine the barriers to physical activity among individuals with visual impairments.