New research from Washington State University shows that small increases in neighborhood walkability could lead to substantial gains for a sedentary population, boosting individuals\u2019 physical activity and ultimately improving their health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Walkable neighborhoods<\/a> are dense, populated areas with layouts that support easy access to features like stores and public transportation. While a majority of Americans<\/a> want to live in a walkable neighborhood, only 10.7%<\/a> live in highly walkable areas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That built environment shapes our daily habits more than many of us realize, notes lead study author Glen Duncan, PhD, ACSM-CEP, professor and chair of the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology at the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDecades of research has shown that encouraging individual-level behavior change around activity and diet is not an effective approach for a healthier population,\u201d Duncan said. \u201cWe need to look at the bigger picture and how restructuring our environment can support the changes we want to see.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine<\/a><\/u><\/em>, builds on previous WSU research<\/a> that\u202ffound that each 1%\u202fincrease in an area\u2019s \u201cwalkability\u201d resulted in 0.42%\u202fincrease in neighborhood walking. When scaled up, a 55%\u202fincrease in walkability would result in each resident walking about 19\u202fminutes more each week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you can increase activity by 20 minutes in an entire population, that could move the needle on public health,\u201d Duncan said, noting 150 minutes of weekly physical activity is recommended for adults. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Both studies employed twin samples from the Washington State Twin Registry<\/a> to help rule out other factors that may affect neighborhood choice and exercise habits. By analyzing data from identical and fraternal twins, researchers controlled for the influence of both genetics and family environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After establishing a link between neighborhood walkability and increased walking, the researchers conducted a follow-up study to investigate changes over time. Analysis of data from more than 7,400 U.S. twins over 11 years found that participants increased their walking after moving to more walkable neighborhoods, indicating a causal link.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The results provide strong evidence for policymakers and developers to consider in urban planning, including decisions about land use, zoning, and public transit. Allowing mixed-use development and investing in pedestrian-friendly features can help foster more walkable neighborhoods, for instance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe need to reorient our thinking to people-centric design,\u201d Duncan said. \u201cWe can retrofit existing neighborhoods, but with new developments, we have a blank slate. Let\u2019s get it right from the start.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n While changes in urban planning could make the greatest difference, the study\u2019s findings may also help individuals who are planning a move. Your next neighborhood could help you reap the health benefits of increased walking<\/a>, from improved cardiovascular fitness and better mood and sleep to reduced risk for a host of chronic conditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The research team also plans to explore other potential benefits of walkable neighborhoods. Beyond advantages like improved pedestrian safety, reduced air pollution, and the economic returns of increased foot traffic, walkable neighborhoods may also foster social interaction, which can reduce loneliness and improve mental health outcomes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to Duncan, the team included Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology researchers Ally Avery, MS, and Ofer Amram, PhD, and contributors from the University of Southern California, University of Washington, and Columbia University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Stephanie Engle, WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine Communications and Marketing, 509-368-6937<\/a>, stephanie.engle@wsu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n New research from Washington State University\u00a0shows\u00a0that small increases in neighborhood walkability could lead to substantial gains\u00a0for\u00a0a sedentary population, boosting individuals’ physical activity and ultimately improving their health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25158,"featured_media":36176,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[107,99,21],"wsuwp_university_location":[],"wsuwp_university_org":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35725"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25158"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35725"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35725\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36182,"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35725\/revisions\/36182"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35725"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_location?post=35725"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_org","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_org?post=35725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Media Contact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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