Rural town walkability: measuring the effect of the built environment

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究将确定乡村城镇步行的建筑环境相关性，并评估低社会经济地位（SES）和拉丁裔种族在这些关系中的作用。缺乏运动和肥胖的患病率在农村居民、低社会经济地位（SES）和拉丁美洲人中明显更高。改变“建筑环境”，增加身体活动，特别是步行，有可能降低农村城镇居民中肥胖和慢性病的患病率。具体来说，确定有利于步行的物理环境的[客观和可感知的]方面可能会刺激环境变化，促进更健康、更积极的生活方式。通过研究来自新英格兰、德克萨斯州和华盛顿州三个不同地理区域的具有不同社会经济和种族特征的农村城镇，本研究将：[(1)测量小城镇居民步行的建筑环境相关性，使用客观和感知的建筑环境测量和自我报告的步行测量（总步行、休闲步行和功利目的步行）；(2)评价城乡居民步行的建筑环境相关因素受SES（家庭收入和受教育程度）和拉丁裔种族的影响程度；(3)利用加速度计和全球定位系统测量验证步行的建筑环境相关性。通过利用我们开发和验证城市和郊区步行措施的经验，我们可以很好地将我们的知识应用于尚未探索的农村城镇步行性问题，[重点是确定SES和拉丁裔在这些地区步行相关的建筑环境中的作用]。这项工作将为未来研究农村建筑环境与健康行为之间的关系奠定基础，并最终进行干预试验，以帮助农村城镇更好地构建建筑环境，促进其最高风险居民的步行。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This research will identify built environmental correlates of walking in rural towns and evaluate the role of low socioeconomic status (SES) and Latino ethnicity on these relationships. The prevalence of physical inactivity and obesity is significantly higher among rural residents, [persons with low socioeconomic status (SES), and Latinos. Modification of the "built environment" to increase physical activity, and walking in particular, holds the potential to reduce the prevalence of obesity and chronic illness among residents of rural towns. Specifically, identifying [objective and perceived] aspects of the physical environment that facilitate walking may stimulate environmental change promoting healthier, active lifestyles. By studying rural towns from three distinct geographic regions, New England, Texas, and Washington State, with a varying range of socio-economic and ethnic characteristics, this study will: [(1) measure built environmental correlates of walking among small town residents, using objective and perceived measures of the built environment and self-reported measures of walking (total, recreational, and utilitarian purpose); (2) evaluate the degree to which built environmental correlates of walking among rural town residents are influenced by SES (household income and educational attainment) and Latino ethnicity; and (3) validate the built environmental correlates of walking using accelerometer and global positioning system measures.] By capitalizing on our experience developing and validating measures of walking for urban and suburban areas, we are well-positioned to apply our knowledge toward the, as yet unexplored, issue of rural town walkability, [concentrating on identifying the role of SES and Latino ethnicity on built environment correlates of walking in these locations]. This work will lay the foundation for future research on the relationship between the rural built environment and health behaviors and, ultimately, intervention trials to help rural towns better structure the built environment to promote walking among their highest risk residents. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Understanding relationships between objective and perceived measures of the "built environment" and walking holds the potential to ultimately reduce socioeconomic and ethnic health disparities among residents of rural towns. This study will supply needed information to help rural towns promote walking and enhance health, particularly among the most vulnerable residents of these locations.