title: Effects of Neighborhood Walkability on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Long-Term Post-Bariatric Surgery.
abstract: ᅟ: Chronic inactivity and weight regain are serious health concerns following bariatric surgery. Neighborhood walkability is associated with higher physical activity and lower obesity rates in normal weight populations.
  
  
  
  Explore the influence of neighborhood walkability on physical activity and sedentarism among long-term post-bariatric surgery patients.
  
  
  
  Fifty-eight adults aged 50.5 ± 9.1 years, with a BMI of 34.6 ± 9.7 kg/m2having undergone surgery 9.8 ± 3.15 years earlier participated in this study. Participants were asked to wear an ActivPAL™ tri-axial accelerometer attached to their mid-thigh for 7-consecutive days, 24 hours/day. The sample was separated into those that live in Car-Dependent (n = 23), Somewhat Walkable (n = 14), Very Walkable (n = 16), and Walker's Paradise (n = 5) neighborhoods as defined using Walk Score®. ANCOVA was performed comparing Walk Score® categories on steps and sedentary time controlling for age and sex.
  
  
  
  Neighborhood walkability did not influence either daily steps (F (3, 54) = 0.921, p = 0.437) or sedentary time (F (3, 54) = 0.465, p = 0.708), Car-Dependent (6359 ± 2712 steps, 9.54 ± 2.46 hrs), Somewhat Walkable (6563 ± 2989 steps, 9.07 ± 2.70 hrs), Very Walkable (5261 ± 2255 steps, 9.97 ± 2.06 hrs), and Walker's Paradise (6901 ± 1877 steps, 10.14 ± 0.815 hrs).
  
  
  
  Walkability does not appear to affect sedentary time or physical activity long-term post-surgery. As the built-environment does not seem to influence activity, sedentarism, or obesity as it does with a normal weight population, work needs to be done to tailor physical activity programming after bariatric surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, 475 avenue des Pins Ouest, Montreal, QC, H2W 1S4, Canada. ryan.reid@mail.mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Ryan E R
authors.initials: RER
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, 475 avenue des Pins Ouest, Montreal, QC, H2W 1S4, Canada.
authors.forename: Tamara E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Carver
authors.affiliation: Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Tyler G R
authors.initials: TGR
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, 475 avenue des Pins Ouest, Montreal, QC, H2W 1S4, Canada.
authors.forename: Marie-Aude
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Picard-Turcot
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, 475 avenue des Pins Ouest, Montreal, QC, H2W 1S4, Canada.
authors.forename: Kathleen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.affiliation: Bariatric Surgery, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Nicolas V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Christou
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, 475 avenue des Pins Ouest, Montreal, QC, H2W 1S4, Canada.
authors.forename: Ross E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Andersen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050110:Bariatric Surgery; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000601:surgery*; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D016138:Walking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Bariatric surgery; Long-term follow-up; Neighborhood walkability; Obesity; Physical activity; Sedentary behavior