Abstract Body: Introduction: High neighborhood walkability, defined as presence of crosswalks, sidewalks, and parks, is associated with higher physical activity (PA) and lower sedentary time (ST) among United States (US) adults. The associations between neighborhood walkability, PA, and ST have not been studied among US South Asians adults, a group which experiences significantly higher cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality compared to other race-ethnic groups.
Methods: The SAHELI clinical trial randomized South Asian adults from the Chicago, IL metro area (18-65 years with CVD risk factors) to a 16-week lifestyle intervention versus a control group between 2018-2023. Baseline PA and ST were measured by an Actigraph worn by participants for 7 consecutive days. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), light physical activity (LPA), and ST were defined by Troiano cut points. Neighborhood was defined by a 500-meter radius around participants’ home address. Neighborhood walkability measures included: the National Walkability Index (measured at the US Census block level), total number of crosswalks, total number of sidewalks, and percentage of neighborhood which contained a park, all measured by Google Street View. In separate models, multivariate linear regression evaluated the association between each neighborhood walkability measure and baseline MVPA, LPA, and ST, adjusting for age, sex, country-of-origin, years in US, and Actigraph wear time.
Results: Participants from SAHELI with valid Actigraph data (defined as at least 600 min/day of wear time for >3 days) and geocoded neighborhood walkability data were included (N=432; 59% female, 98% immigrant, 79% Indian origin). Mean±SD MVPA was 24±19 min/day, LPA was 299±95 min/day, and ST was 564±136 min/day. Distribution of neighborhood walkability variables are shown in Figure. Neighborhood walkability exposures were not associated with MVPA. The National Walkability Index, total number of crosswalks, and total number of sidewalks were significantly associated with higher LPA and lower ST in maximally-adjusted models (Figure). The percentage of neighborhood containing a park was not associated with LPA or ST.
Conclusion: National Walkability Index, number of neighborhood crosswalks and sidewalks were significantly associated with higher LPA and lower ST, but not with MVPA. Neighborhood walkability may be important to consider when designing CVD prevention interventions that promote PA and minimize ST among US South Asians.