Determinants of Walking among Middle-Aged and Older Overweight and Obese Adults: Sociodemographic, Health, and Built Environmental Factors.
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BACKGROUND: This study examined the association between selected sociodemographic, health, and built environmental factors and walking behaviors of middle-aged and older overweight/obese adults. METHODS: Subjective data were obtained from surveys administered to community-dwelling overweight/obese adults aged 50 years residing in four Texas cities from October 2013 to June 2014, along with objective data on neighborhood walkability (Walk Score). Multivariate logistic regression identified factors predicting the odds of walking the recommended 150 minutes per week for any purpose. RESULTS: Of 253 participants, the majority were non-Hispanic white (81.8%), married (74.5%), and male (53.4%) and reported an annual income of $50,000 (65.5%). Approximately, half were employed (49.6%) or had at least a college degree (51.6%). Walking the recommended 150 minutes per week for any purpose (n = 57, 22.5%) was significantly associated with having at least a college degree (OR = 5.55, 95% CI = 1.79-17.25), having no difficulty walking a quarter of a mile (OR = 5.18, 95% CI = 1.30-20.83), and being unemployed (OR = 3.25, 95% CI = 1.18-8.93) as well as perceived presence of sidewalks/protected walkways (OR = 3.56, 95% CI = 1.10-11.50) and perceived absence of distracted drivers in the neighborhood (OR = 4.08, 95% CI = 1.47-11.36). CONCLUSION: Addressing neighborhood conditions related to distracted drivers and pedestrian infrastructure may promote walking among middle-aged and older overweight/obese individuals.
