The rising prevalence of obesity in Canada has led researchers to examine not only individual behaviours, but also, environmental factors that may be contributing to the increase. Interest is growing in potential effects of the built environment, notably, neighbourhood walkability, on the risk of obesity and related diseases. The objective of this study was to determine if the prevalence of overweight and obesity is associated with neighbourhood walkability. The analysis tested whether a dose-response relationship between the Street Smart Walk Score® and various measures of physical activity, overweight, and obesity existed in a large, population-based sample of adults in urban and suburban Ontario.
Authors: Maria Chiu, Baiju R. Shah, Laura C. Maclagan, Mohammad-Reza Rezai, Peter C. Austin and Jack V. Tu
Published By: Statistics Canada
Publication Date: July 2015
View Walk Score and the Prevalence of Utilitarian Walking and Obesity Among Ontario Adults
