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. 2018 Aug;108(8):1055-1058.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2018.304449. Epub 2018 Jun 21.

Community and Street-Scale Supports for Walking in the US Virgin Islands Before the 2017 Hurricanes

John D Omura  1 , Emily N Ussery  1 , Susan A Carlson  1 , Kathleen Arnold-Lewis  1 , John Orr  1 , Dana Olzenak McGuire  1 , Lillianne Lewis  1 , Prabasaj Paul  1 , Erin L Peterson  1 , Janet E Fulton  1 , Esther M Ellis  1
Affiliations

Community and Street-Scale Supports for Walking in the US Virgin Islands Before the 2017 Hurricanes

John D Omura et al. Am J Public Health. 2018 Aug.

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of community and street-scale design features that promote walking across the US Virgin Islands (USVI).

Methods: In May 2016, the USVI Department of Health, with technical assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conducted a territory-wide audit with a validated tool. We selected street segments (n = 1114) via a 2-stage sampling method, and estimates were weighted to be representative of publicly accessible street length.

Results: Overall, 10.7% of the street length contained a transit stop, 11.3% had sidewalks, 21.7% had at least 1 destination (e.g., stores, restaurants), 27.4% had a traffic calming feature (e.g., speed humps), and 53.2% had at least some street lighting. Several features were less prevalent on residential streets compared with commercial streets, including transit stops, sidewalks, destinations, and street lighting (P < .01).

Conclusions: Across the USVI, community and street-scale features supportive of walking were uncommon. Improving community and street-scale design in the USVI, particularly in residential areas, could increase physical activity by enhancing walkability and therefore improve public health. These data can be used to inform community planning in the USVI.

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References

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