title: Building Community: Stakeholder Perspectives on Walking in Malls and Other Venues.
abstract: Mall walking has been a popular physical activity for decades. However, little is known about why mall managers support these programs or why adults choose to walk. Our study aim was to describe mall walking programs from the perspectives of walkers, managers, and leaders. Twenty-eight walkers, 16 walking program managers, and six walking program leaders from five states participated in a telephone or in-person semi-structured interview (N = 50). Interview guides were developed using a social-ecological model. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. All informants indicated satisfaction with their program and environmental features. Differences in expectations were noted in that walkers wanted a safe, clean, and social place whereas managers and leaders felt a need to provide programmatic features. Given the favorable walking environments in malls, there is an opportunity for public health professionals, health care organizations, and providers of aging services to partner with malls to promote walking.
authors.forename: Basia
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Belza
authors.forename: Christina E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Miyawaki
authors.forename: Peg
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Diane K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: David X
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Marquez
authors.forename: Dina L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Janicek
authors.forename: Dori
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D004779:Environment Design / Q000592:standards; D004782:Environmental Health / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005160:Facility Design and Construction / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods; D058996:Quality Improvement; D000073597:Stakeholder Participation; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology
keywords: built environment; mid-life and older adults; physical activity; public health