National Geographic featured a large national study led by Nutrition and Exercise Physiology Chair Glen Duncan, PhD, ACSM-CEP, that shows how the built environment influences how much people walk, an underrated activity with numerous health benefits.
“There are clear connections between the neighborhood environment and behavior,” Duncan says in the article. “In this case, it’s physical activity.”
Published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, the study of Washington State Twin Registry data found that each 1% increase in an area’s “walkability” resulted in 0.42% increase in residents’ walking. When scaled up, a 55% increase in the walkability would result in about 19 minutes of additional walking per week for every resident.
In terms of public health, that can add up to a big difference for the highly sedentary U.S. populace, Duncan noted. Walking is a simple tool that can achieve multiple health benefits.
The research team included NEP co-authors Ally Avery, MS, Washington State Twin Registry scientific operations manager; Associate Professor Ofer Amram, PhD; and Bethany D. Williams, PhD, MSH, EP-C, a former postdoctoral researcher, in addition to collaborators at other universities.