The sociodemographics of land use planning: relationships to physical activity, accessibility, and equity

Abstract

Little is known about relationships between attributes of land use plans and sociodemographic variations in physical activity (PA). This study evaluates associations between policy-relevant plan attributes, sociodemographic factors, and PA in North Carolina. Results suggest that land use plans that included non-automobile transportation improvements and more comprehensive policies to guide development were positively associated with both leisure and transportation-related PA. However, residents of counties with lower-income levels and higher proportions of non-white residents were less likely to have attributes supportive of PA included in their plans. Implications for transdisciplinary collaboration with respect to reducing health disparities are discussed.