title: Physical activity and perceptions of neighborhood walkability among Turkish women in low and high socio-economic environments: an exploratory study.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare the levels of physical activity, exercise stages of change, and perceptions of neighborhood walkability among Turkish women who were living in low and high socio-economic (SES) environments. The participants included 188 women in low SES and 206 in high SES environments, between the ages of 18 and 65 years. The Low SES group had a higher rate of inactivity, and relative to the High SES group, was less likely to rate the neighborhood environment as promoting and supportive of physical activity. Intervention programs for women living in low SES areas should be developed and administered while taking the level of physical activity, exercise stages of change, and perceptions of neighborhood walkability into consideration.
authors.affiliation: Physical Education and Sports Department, Faculty of Education, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey. mince@metu.edu.tr
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ince
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muftuler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D005082:Physical Exertion; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012923:Social Class; D012931:Social Environment; D012938:Social Perception; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey; D016138:Walking / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult