What question did this study set out to answer?

This research investigates how objective and perceived neighbourhood walkability together influence transportation and recreational physical activity in urban-dwelling Canadians.

April 19, 2026Open Access

Objective and perceived neighbourhood walkability: population-average associations with transportation and recreational physical activity in urban-dwelling Canadian adults

LFLevi Frehlich JLJustin LangUniversity of South Australia SPStéphanie A. PrinceUniversity of Ottawa

Key Points

This research investigates how objective and perceived neighbourhood walkability together influence transportation and recreational physical activity in urban-dwelling Canadians.
Utilized data from 3,995 adults from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (2016-2019).
Linked subjective experiences of walkability to objective walkability scores from the Can-ALE dataset.
Employed covariate-adjusted Hurdle models to assess associations and interactions between walkability types and physical activities.
Objective walkability showed a positive association with transportation physical activity (β = 9.39).
Perceived walkability also positively affected transportation physical activity (β = 5.53).
Among males, perceived walkability was associated with recreational physical activity (β = 8.13).
A synergistic effect of interaction was noted on transportation physical activity for males, while an antagonistic effect was observed on recreational physical activity.

Abstract

The extent to which objective and perceived neighbourhood walkability together shape physical activity is not well understood. Using data from a national sample of urban-dwelling adults in Canada, our study examined whether perceived walkability moderated associations between objective walkability and physical activity undertaken for transportation (TPA) and recreation (RPA). National data from 3,995 adults (Canadian Health Measures Survey; 2016-2019) including self-reported sociodemographic characteristics, perceived walkability, and TPA and RPA were linked to objective walkability scores from the 2016 Canadian Active Living Environments (Can-ALE) dataset. Pooled and sex-stratified covariate-adjusted Hurdle models estimated associations between objective and perceived walkability (main and interaction effects), used to determine population-average weekly minutes of TPA and RPA. Objective walkability was positively associated with TPA in the pooled (β = 9.39; 95% CI: 0.61 to 11.18) and sex-stratified samples (male β = 7.75; 95% CI: 5.42 to 10.08 and female β = 11.60; 95% CI: 8.88 to 14.31). Perceived walkability was positively associated with TPA in the pooled (β = 5.53; 95% CI:1.55 to 9.51) and male-only sample (β = 6.00; 95% CI: 0.31 to 11.68). Among males, perceived walkability was also associated with RPA (β = 8.13; 95% CI: 0.61 to 15.66). For males, the objective-by-perceived walkability interaction had a synergistic effect on TPA but an antagonistic effect on RPA. No interactions were observed among females. Objective and perceived walkability were positively associated with TPA. Perceived walkability was also linked to RPA among males. Their combined influence enhanced TPA but reduced RPA in males, suggesting physical and perceptual aspects of the neighbourhood built environment may interact differently across physical activity domains and sex.

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