title: Perceived characteristics of the neighborhood and its association with physical activity behavior and self-rated health.
abstract: The aim of our study was to identify perceptions of the residential environment and their association with physical activity for specific purposes and with self-rated health in an urban context. A representative survey of inhabitants of Graz (a mid-sized Austrian city) aged 15-60 years (n=997) was conducted. We found a perceived high social-environmental quality of the residential environment to be associated with higher levels of self-rated health and leisure time physical activity. Both leisure time physical activity and satisfaction with environmental quality were independently linked with self-rated health. Furthermore, a high level of satisfaction with the individual's local infrastructure may support the residents to engage in higher levels of physical activity for transportation, whereas the preferred mode of transportation may be gender-specific: men tend to use the bicycle while women walk. Our results suggest that local infrastructure facilities should be designed so as to ensure accessibility by both walking and cycling.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Medical University of Graz, Universitätsstrasse 6, 8010 Graz, Austria. willibald.stronegger@medunigraz.at
authors.forename: Willibald J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Stronegger
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Titze
authors.forename: Pekka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Oja
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001317:Austria; D001642:Bicycling; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities / Q000523:psychology; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014186:Transportation; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016138:Walking