Gary G. Bennett|Lorna H. McNeill|Kathleen Y. Wolin|Dustin T. Duncan|Elaine Puleo|Karen M. Emmons
Safe To Walk? Neighborhood Safety and Physical Activity Among Public Housing Residents
Harvard University|Dana-Farber Cancer Institute|The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center|Washington University in St. Louis|Harvard University|Dana-Farber Cancer Institute|University of Massachusetts Amherst|Harvard University|Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
despite health benefits physical inactivity pervasive particularly among living lowerincome urban communities settings neighborhood safety may impact willingness regularly physically active examined association perceived neighborhood safety pedometerdetermined physical activity physical activity selfefficacyparticipants 1180 predominantly racialethnic minority adults recruited 12 urban lowincome housing complexes metropolitan boston participants completed 5d pedometer datacollection protocol selfreported perceptions neighborhood safety selfefficacy ie confidence ability physically active genderstratified bivariate multivariable random effects models estimated account withinsite clustering participants reported feeling safe day onethird 36 felt safe night found association daytime safety reports physical activity among men women also association nighttime safety reports physical activity among men p 023 women reported feeling unsafe versus safe night showed significantly fewer steps per day 4302 versus 5178 p 001 perceiving ones neighborhood unsafe day associated significantly lower odds high physical activity selfefficacy among men 040 p 001 women 068 p 002residing neighborhood perceived unsafe night barrier regular physical activity among individuals especially women living urban lowincome housing feeling unsafe may also diminish confidence ability physically active factors may limit effectiveness physical activity promotion strategies delivered similar settings