Effects of perceived neighborhood characteristics and use of community facilities on physical activity of adults with and without disabilities

Abstract

Introduction: Using data from the 2004 Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, we investigated whether the physical activity behaviors of people with disabilities are related to their perceptions of the characteristics of the built environment and whether this relationship differs from that of people without disabilities.

Methods: The research questions were, "Are perceived neighborhood characteristics and reported use of community facilities associated with reported leisure-time physical activity for adults aged 18 to 64 years with disabilities?"; "Are perceived neighborhood characteristics and reported use of community facilities associated with reported moderate to vigorous physical activity for adults with disabilities?"; and "To what extent do perceived neighborhood characteristics, reported use of community facilities, reported leisure-time physical activity, and reported moderate to vigorous physical activity differ between adults with disabilities and without disabilities?" We used logistic regression to analyze the responses.

Results: People with disabilities were less likely to engage in leisure-time physical activity and meet recommendations for physical activity than people without disabilities. Participation of people with disabilities in leisure-time physical activity had significant correlations with positive perceptions of neighbors, physical activity, trails, parks, playgrounds, or sports fields, and with their use of private or membership-only recreation facilities. The presence of sidewalks was significantly related to whether people with disabilities met recommended levels of physical activity.

Conclusion: Although people with disabilities engaged in less leisure-time physical activity and physical activity than people without disabilities, perceptions of the built environment and use of community facilities similarly affected people with and without disabilities.