Evaluation of long-term effect of pedestrian signage with time travel indication in Grenoble city (France)

Background: French population does not achieve recommended physical activity (PA) level. Promoting walking as an active transport mode through urban environment is a recommended strategy to maintain health. This study assessed long-term effect (1 year) of pedestrian signage in the city of Grenoble (France). The first part of our study focused on the attendance of general population living in Grenoble on two important crossroads in a neighborhood equipped with pedestrian signage. The second one studied the receptiveness to this signage of low to moderate socioeconomic status Grenoble citizens living in this neighborhood. In addition, we tried to evidence the potential impact of this signage in the latter population in term of walking activity, cardiometabolic health and motivation toward PA. Methods: For the first part of the study, we compared the attendance (number of passages manual counting) in Grenoble general population on 2 crossroads in a neighborhood equipped with signage (PSN) with 2 crossroads of a similar neighborhood not equipped (CN). For the second part of the study, we planned to specifically recruit 140 subjects (electoral lists, brochures, phone calls and mailing) in these two neighborhoods (pedestrian signage group: PSG; control group: CG). These subjects were proposed to participate in a follow-up of their health during one year. We asked if they have seen the pedestrian signage and compared these groups on daily steps number (pedometer), cardiometabolic risk (SCORE) and motivation toward PA (Self-Regulation Questionnaire for exercise) over one year period. Results: For the first part of the study, the attendance slightly increased between June and December (effect size: 0.5; p < 0.05) in PSN suggesting a transitory effect of the signage in general population. For the second part, only forty-two subjects (22 in PSG and 20 in CG) accepted to participate in this study. We failed to include low to moderate socio-economic citizens. Seventy percent of the recruited subjects did not see the pedestrian signage. This sample did not change its walking activity level, cardiometabolic risk as well as PA motivation. Conclusion: On the basis of attendance study, such a pedestrian signage might be incentive to increase PA in general population but this needs confirmation. The effects of a larger specific communication associated with this urban environment targeting particular population groups deserve to be studied.