Project 173652

Participation in physical activity can provide potential health enhancing benefits however only 49% of Canadians achieve the recommended level of physical activity required to benefit their health. Moreover, physical activity levels are often lower among those socioeconomically disadvantaged. There has been recent focus on the built environments role in supporting health, including physical activity participation. Studies have shown associations between built environmental features (i.e. access to sidewalks and public open space, and land use mix) and physical activity however, examination of these relationships with regard to socioeconomic status (SES) is limited. This project forms part of a current study (Economic Evaluation of Using Urban Form to Increase Activity-EcoEUFORIA) involving telephone interviews and postal surveys to collect data from a random sample of Calgarian adults (n = 4400). Interviews capture physical activity, reasons for residing in respondents' current neighbourhood, SES (i.e., education and home ownership) and demographic information. Postal surveys capture perceptions of neighbourhood walkability and SES (i.e., income). Objective measures of neighbourhood walkability will be derived using spatial data from the City of Calgary. Area level SES will be derived from the 2006 Canadian Census and linked to interview and survey data using postal code. The walkability of neighbourhoods will be compared for high and low SES areas and the moderating affect of individual and area level SES on associations between perceived and objectively measured walkability and physical activity examined. By examining the above relationships this research will provide unique information about 1) the associations between environmental determinants of physical activity in the context of individual and area level SES and 2) the distribution of specific environmental facilitators or barriers to physical activity across differing SES Calgary neighbourhoods.