Background: The purposes of this study were to: 1) explore the potential role of sex in the association between the perceived environment and walking; and 2) determine the efficacy of an Internet-based research platform for collecting population-level physical activity and correlates data.
Methods: Visitors to the Canada on the Move website were asked questions about their demographics, physical activity participation and perceptions of their neighbourhood environment. A total of 3,144 Canadians (2,036 women; 609 men) completed the survey. Level of walking was regressed on eight measures of perceived neighbourhood environment in a series of logistic regressions.
Results: Individuals who reported interesting scenery (OR=1.41, 95% CI 1.17-1.71) and many places to go that were within easy walking distance (OR=1.39, 95% CI 1.18-1.64) were more likely to report walking at a level sufficient to derive health benefits. For women, interesting scenery in and around their neighbourhood (OR=1.40, 95% CI 1.13-1.74) and the presence of many places to go within easy walking distance (OR=1.42, 95% CI 1.17-1.72) were associated with walking at a sufficient level. Among men, no significant associations were found between the perceived environment measures and walking.
Conclusions: The results from this study provide additional support for the use of models in which sex is treated as a potential moderator of the link between the perceived environment and physical activity. Further, the results support the use of an Internet-based research platform to collect data on the correlates of physical activity.