The impact of neighbourhood walkability on the effectiveness of a structured education programme to increase objectively measured walking.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Incorporating physical activity into daily activities is key for the effectiveness of lifestyle education interventions aimed at improving health outcomes; however, consideration of the environmental context in which individuals live is not always made. Walkability is a characteristic of the physical environment, and may be a potential facilitator to changing physical activity levels. METHODS: Using data collected during the Walking Away from Diabetes randomized controlled trial, we examined the association between the walkability of the home neighbourhood and physical activity of participants. We also determined whether home neighbourhood walkability of participants was associat..