Protocol: Long Distance Walking and Psychosocial Health and Wellbeing: A Scoping Review.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Exercise Science
• Behavioral Medicine

Background:

• Long-distance walking, defined as 20 km/12 miles or more, is a recognized physical activity.
• Understanding its impact on physical and psychosocial outcomes is crucial for public health initiatives.
• Existing literature requires a comprehensive overview to identify research gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review assessing the evidence base for long-distance walking's effects on adult physical and psychosocial outcomes.
• To identify the range of outcomes measured, study designs employed, and characteristics of walking interventions studied.
• To determine the demographic characteristics of participants included in long-distance walking research.

Main Methods:

• A systematic scoping review methodology will be employed.
• Literature searches will cover multiple databases for relevant studies.
• Data extraction will focus on outcomes, study design, walking characteristics, and participant demographics.

Main Results:

• This section will summarize the findings once the review is completed.
• It will detail the types of physical and psychosocial outcomes examined.
• It will categorize the study designs and walking characteristics investigated.

Conclusions:

• This scoping review will provide a comprehensive overview of the current evidence on long-distance walking.
• It aims to identify areas for future research and inform public health strategies.
• The findings will highlight the extent of research on physical and psychosocial benefits in diverse adult populations.