你可能会很惊奇地发现，生活在人口密集地区，比如商店、银行、学校或其它服务场所距离非常近的地区的加拿大人或许并不会步行太多时间，然而近日一项发表在国际杂志BMJ Open上的研究报告中，来自麦基尔大学健康中心的研究者就指出，对加拿大人大量样本的代表性分析具有一定的特殊性，其可以将个体体力活动的客观测定值同基于适于步行的社区的电子地图相结合。
研究者Kaberi Dasgupta说道，在加拿大很多城市和城镇都有多个适于步行的社区，但这实际上并没有帮助我们来降低个体患慢性疾病及其它并发症的风险，比如2型糖尿病等疾病，这就有点像把跑步机放到我们的地下室一样，而跑步机是一件让我们保持健康的工具。
研究者指出，这项研究基于对加拿大卫生健康调查的大量数据进行分析，该调查涵盖了对加拿大15个地方的3000名成年个体，这些个体进行了关于日常实际步行的相关调查问卷的填写，同时研究者让这些个体穿上加速度计来测定其每天的步数，随后研究者利用纬度和经度信息结合电子地图来计算参与者适合步行的社区的适宜程度。
Samantha Hajna博士说道，每日的步数包括实际的和休闲的散步步数，而其是个体总的体力活动的指示器，与我们的预测相反，本文研究表明，尽管居住在适合步行的社区的个体每天会进行更为实际的行走，但相比较不太适合步行的社区的个体而言，这些个体并没有达到一种更为积极的运动方式，其每天的步数仍然在推荐的每天10000万步以下，而这一研究结果不同于在比利时、日本和捷克的研究，在这些国家里适于步行的社区和个体总体的步行数是直接相关的。
最后研究者表示，我们周围环境的适于步行的特性或许会为我们每天进行额外的锻炼提供一种额外的机会。如果我们居住在适于步行的社区，那么就好好利用这种条件，因为适宜的步行可以帮助我们进行有效的体力活动，从而保持机体的健康。
doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015-008964
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Neighbourhood walkability, daily steps and utilitarian walking in Canadian adults
Samantha Hajna1, Nancy A Ross1,2, Lawrence Joseph1,2, Sam Harper1, Kaberi Dasgupta1,3
Objectives To estimate the associations of neighbourhood walkability (based on Geographic Information System (GIS)-derived measures of street connectivity, land use mix, and population density and the Walk Score) with self-reported utilitarian walking and accelerometer-assessed daily steps in Canadian adults. Design A cross-sectional analysis of data collected as part of the Canadian Health Measures Survey (2007–2009). Setting Home neighbourhoods (500 m polygonal street network buffers around the centroid of the participant's postal code) located in Atlantic Canada, Québec, Ontario, the Prairies and British Columbia. Participants 5605 individuals participated in the survey. 3727 adults (≥18 years) completed a computer-assisted interview and attended a mobile clinic assessment. Analyses were based on those who had complete exposure, outcome and covariate data (n=2949). Main exposure measures GIS-derived walkability (based on land use mix, street connectivity and population density); Walk Score. Main outcome measures Self-reported utilitarian walking; accelerometer-assessed daily steps. Results No important relationship was observed between neighbourhood walkability and daily steps. Participants who reported more utilitarian walking, however, accumulated more steps (<1 h/week: 6613 steps/day, 95% CI 6251 to 6975; 1 to 5 h/week: 6768 steps/day, 95% CI 6420 to 7117; ≥6 h/week: 7391 steps/day, 95% CI 6972 to 7811). There was a positive graded association between walkability and odds of walking ≥1 h/week for utilitarian purposes (eg, Q4 vs Q1 of GIS-derived walkability: OR=1.66, 95% CI 1.31 to 2.11; Q3 vs Q1: OR=1.41, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.76; Q2 vs Q1: OR=1.13, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.39) independent of age, sex, body mass index, married/common law status, annual household income, having children in the household, immigrant status, mood disorder, perceived health, ever smoker and season. Conclusions Contrary to expectations, living in more walkable Canadian neighbourhoods was not associated with more total walking. Utilitarian walking and daily steps were, however, correlated and walkability demonstrated a positive graded relationship with utilitarian walking.