Examining associations between individual and built environment characteristics and walking trip bouts: Evidence from the 2017 California household travel survey

Abstract

Walking is an affordable physical activity that promotes various health outcomes. Studies focusing solely on walking frequency may not fully capture its health benefits, as duration is more closely linked to significant benefits. Considering both walking frequency and bout duration can provide insights into walking behavior and its health benefits. This study aims to examine how individual and built environment characteristics relate to short- and long-bout walking trips, using data from the 2017 California Household Travel Survey and the Smart Location Database 3.0. Our analysis involved multilevel mixed-effects negative binomial regression with a sample of 32,178 individuals aged 18 and over. Results revealed that individual, socioeconomic, and built environment characteristics are differently associated with short- and long-bout walking trips, potentially leading to different health benefits from the same number of walking trips. Individuals who rarely engaged in physical activity or had medical conditions were less likely to engage in long-bout walking trips. Built environment densities had similar effects on both walking trip types, while employment diversity was associated only with long-bout walking trips. Notably, the effects of pedestrian link density were more pronounced on long-bout walking trips. Predicted long-bout walking trip counts were not associated with urbanicity, while short-bout walking trip counts were higher in urban areas than in suburban areas. Therefore, promoting public health through walking requires a comprehensive approach that considers socio-economic and built environment factors, acknowledging the varying health effects of walking based on bout duration.