Correlates of recreational and transportation physical activity among adults in a New England community

Background Promotion of transportation-related physical activity is consistent with current national recommendations. However, few studies have simultaneously examined correlates of recreational and transportation physical activity. Methods Surveys were mailed to 1002 adults residing in a Massachusetts suburb. The survey included measures of self-reported recreational and transportation-related physical activity and demographic, cognitive, interpersonal, and environmental variables potentially correlated with activity. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the associations between environmental variables and the two outcomes. Results Respondents (n = 413) who averaged 51.2 ± 16.8 years of age reported 132.3 ± 140.5 min/week recreational physical activity and 142.1 ± 180.9 min/week transportation activity. Sidewalks (P = 0.02) and traffic (P = 0.01) were each associated with higher levels of recreational physical activity in unadjusted analyses, but in models that controlled for age, self-efficacy for physical activity and family social support for physical activity, these environmental variables were nonsignificant. Three perceived environmental variables (enjoyable scenery, sidewalks, traffic) and one objective environmental variable (distance from home to a community rail-trail) each showed associations (P ≤ 0.05) with transportation-related physical activity in models that controlled for age and self-efficacy. Conclusions Neighborhood physical environmental variables were associated with transportation physical activity, but not with recreational physical activity. Further research is needed to identify shared and unique correlates of recreational and transportation physical activity in urban, suburban, and rural settings.