Potential Contributions of Walking Towards Physical Activity Guidelines of Seniors

摘要

Walking for transport is considered an appropriate form of physical activity for seniors. In order to evaluate the potential contributions of walking to physical activity, in this paper the concept of Compliance Potential Mapping is introduced. Based on estimates of walking trip length and frequency, estimates of expected total daily walking distance are obtained. These estimates are converted to weekly walking minutes, which are in turn compared to recommended physical activity guidelines for seniors. The approach is conceptually intuitive and based on relatively straightforward map algebra operations. The approach for Compliance Potential Mapping proposed is demonstrated using the city of Montreal in Canada as a case study. The results indicate that the central parts of Montreal Island display higher potential for compliance with physical activity guidelines, but with variations according to gender, income, possession of driver’s license and vehicle. Compliance Potential Maps offer valuable information for publichealth and transportation planning and policy analysis.