Neighborhood Environment Attributes are Associated With Disparities in Walking by Exercise Preference

We aimed to investigate the relationship between neighborhood environments and disparities in walking based on exercise preference.

This nationwide cross-sectional study included 40,423 Japanese adults (aged 20-98 y, male 50.5%) who responded to a web-based survey with stratified sampling in 2021. Neighborhood environment characteristics were assessed using the Japanese version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Environmental Module. Weekly time spent walking for leisure and utilitarian purposes was assessed by questionnaire. The Slope Index of Inequality was calculated using a multivariable logistic regression model and was used to examine the relationship between neighborhood environments and walking disparities by exercise preference.

Almost half (45.2%) of the participants did not like exercise. Median total walking time was 180 minutes per week (utilitarian walking: 90 min/wk, leisure walking: 45 min/wk) for those who liked exercise and 100 minutes per week (utilitarian walking: 60 min/wk, leisure walking: 0 min/wk) for those who disliked it. Except for safety from traffic and crime, all walkability attributes were positively associated with walking, regardless of exercise preference. The association between access to shops and public transport and utilitarian walking was stronger among participants who disliked exercise, contributing to a disparity in walking by exercise preference. On the other hand, the presence of recreational facilities was more strongly associated with leisure walking among those who liked exercise, related to a greater disparity in leisure walking by exercise preference.

Activity-friendly neighborhood environments may be associated with a smaller disparity in utilitarian walking between those who liked or disliked exercise.