Sampling Methodology and Reliability of a Representative Walkability Audit

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Urban Planning
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Physical inactivity is a significant public health issue in the US Virgin Islands (USVI).
• Limited pedestrian infrastructure may contribute to low physical activity levels.
• This study details methods for assessing environmental walkability in the USVI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the methodology for a walkability audit in the USVI.
• To evaluate environmental features supporting physical activity.
• To establish a foundation for improving community walkability.

Main Methods:

• A modified Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes tool was used by volunteer auditors in 2016.
• A two-stage sampling strategy selected 46 estates and 1,550 street segments (99.2 km).
• Inter-rater reliability was assessed using Cohen's kappa and percent agreement.

Main Results:

• Audits covered 1,114 segments (94.6 km), weighted to represent 1,155.9 km of accessible public streets.
• The audit tool demonstrated good to excellent reliability for most items (62.7%).
• A reliable audit of environmental features is feasible across a large street sample in the USVI.

Conclusions:

• The methods employed are replicable in other regions.
• This approach enables comprehensive data collection for walkability improvement strategies.
• Findings support evidence-based interventions to enhance physical activity environments.