Promoting Active Living Among People with Physical Disabilities: Evidence for Neighborhood-Level Buoys

Abstract

People with physical disabilities are more likely to be sedentary than the general population, possibly because they have an accrued sensitivity to environmental features. This paper describes the relationship between neighborhood-level active living buoys and the active living practices of adults with physical disabilities living in a large urban area. A sample of 205 people with physical disabilities was recruited via a local rehabilitation center and its adapted fitness center. Telephone interviews were administered by senior occupational therapy students. The interview included a modified version of the Physical Activity and Disability Survey, a validated instrument that includes questions on physical activity, active transportation, and other activities of daily living. Individuals were geocoded within their census tract of residence (n=114) using their postal codes. Data on neighborhood active living potential were gleaned from systematic social observation. Multilevel logistic regression analyses showed that the association between the presence of environmental buoys and leisure activity was significant (OR=4.0, 95% CI=1.1-13.8) despite adjustments for individual difference variables while the association with active transportation became nonsignificant (OR=2.9, 95% CI=0.7-7.7) following adjustment for these variables. People with physical disabilities who live in neighborhoods with more environmental buoys are more likely to report involvement in leisure-time physical activity.