Search

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that the built environment is associated with physical activity. The extent to which the built environment may support adherence to physical activity interventions is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the neighbourhood built environment constrains or facilitates adherence and steps taken during a 12-week internet-delivered pedometer-based physical activity intervention (UWALK). Method: The study was undertaken in Calgary (Canada) between May 2016 and August 2017. Inactive adults (n = 573) completed a telephone survey measuring sociodemographic characteristics and perceived neighbourhood walkability. Following the survey, participants were mailed a pedometer and instructions for joining UWALK. Participants were asked to report their daily pedometer steps into the online program on a weekly basis for 12 weeks (84 days). Walk Score® estimated objective neighbourhood walkability and the Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale–Abbreviated (NEWS-A) measured participants self-reported neighbourhood walkability. Regression models estimated covariate-adjusted associations of objective and self-reported walkability with: 1) adherence to the UWALK intervention (count of days with steps reported and count of days with 10000 steps reported), and; 2) average daily pedometer steps. Results: On average, participants undertook 8565 (SD = 3030) steps per day, reported steps on 67 (SD = 22.3) of the 84 days, and achieved ≥10000 steps on 22 (SD = 20.5) of the 84 days. Adjusting for covariates, a one-unit increase in self-reported walkability was associated on average with 45.76 (95CI 14.91, 76.61) more daily pedometer steps. Walk Score® was not significantly associated with steps. Neither objective nor self-reported walkability were significantly associated with the UWALK adherence outcomes. Conclusion: The neighbourhood built environment may support pedometer-measured physical activity but may not influence adherence to pedometer interventions. Perceived walkability may be more important than objectively-measured walkability in supporting physical activity during pedometer interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet-facilitated physical activity interventions are becoming more common. A better understanding about the barriers and facilitators experienced by participants is needed to improve the delivery and effectiveness of these types of interventions. Our study explored perceived individual, social, and physical environment characteristics that hinder or facilitate physical activity among previously "inactive" adults during a 12-week internet-facilitated pedometer intervention. Qualitative Study (qualitative description). Twenty-three participants (82.6% women; ages 24–68 years) who registered for the 12-week internet-facilitated pedometer intervention (UWALK) participated in telephone-administered semi-structured interviews. Interview questions explored perceived barriers and facilitators to physical activity during the UWALK intervention. Participants were purposefully sampled to represent various levels of engagement with UWALK. The experiences shared by participants were represented by four themes including: creating (in)activity awareness; commitment to physical activity; incorporating activity for transportation, and; importance of nature and changing scenery. Wearing the pedometer and recording their daily steps made participants more aware about time being sedentary. Moreover, participants developed strategies to help achieve their step goals. Active transportation was frequently mentioned as an effective way of increasing daily steps, and access to nature or beautiful scenery encouraged more physical activity. Perceived individual and environmental factors contribute to participants' ability to engage in UWALK and physical activity. Providing participants enrolled in internet-facilitated pedometer interventions with strategies for overcoming barriers, instructions for exploring their local environments, and approaches for incorporating active transportation into daily routines, may improve adherence and, ultimately, increase physical activity. • Wearing pedometers increased awareness of participant's current physical activity. • Tracking pedometer steps motivated UWALK participants to be physically active. • Individual and environmental factors influenced engagement in UWALK. • Destinations, nature, and pathways supported physical activity during UWALK. • Garbage, the homeless, and off-leash dogs hindered physical activity during UWALK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]