The Relationship Between Neighborhood Walkability and Health Behaviors, Body Weight, Health Outcomes, and Mortality Risk in the WHI (Women’s Health Initiative) Cohort
A substantial and expanding body of research demonstrates the influence of neighborhood environmental features on physical activity behaviors among children and adults. The objective of this ancillary study was to seek approval to create linkages between WHI (Women’s Health Initiative) participant addresses to Walk Score and Transit Score values. The scientific purpose was to conduct prospective analyses of the relationship between neighborhood built environment, specifically walkability as measured by Walk Score, and related health behaviors and outcomes such as physical activity and sedentary behavior (objective and self-report); body weight status; development of chronic diseases (e.g. diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers); mental and emotional health (e.g. depression, quality of life); cause-specific mortality; and other related behavioral and disease outcomes.
Outcomes from this project can be found here: Association of neighborhood Walk Score with accelerometer-measured physical activity varies by neighborhood socioeconomic status in older women
Funding: President’s Council of Cornell Women
Seguin-Fowler Research 