Background: The aim of this systematic review was to examine gender differences in walking for leisure, transportudand in total in adults living in high-income countries, and to assess whether gender differences in walking practicesudchange across the life-course.udMethods: A systematic literature search was conducted of publications dated 1995 to 2015. Papers providingudquantitative data on participation in walking of both men and women aged at least 18 years in a high-incomeudcountry were screened for the quality of the data on gender differences in walking. Data were extracted and resultsudwere synthesised using forest plots and narrative summary.udResults: Thirty-six studies were included in the review: 18 reported on walking for leisure, 16 on walking forudtransport (in total, or for particular purposes), and 14 on total walking. Most (33) studies provided data comparingudthe proportion of men and women who walked (at all or for a minimum duration) over a defined period, usuallyudone week. There was consistent evidence that more women than men walk for leisure, although effect sizes wereudsmall. However, this effect varies by age: more younger women than younger men walk for leisure, but the genderuddifference diminishes with age and appears to reverse in the oldest age groups. Taking all ages together, there wasudno consistent gender difference in walking for transport or in total walking, although the small number of studiesudreporting on walking to undertake errands suggested that more women than men walk for this purpose.udConclusions: While there is little evidence that levels of total walking consistently vary by gender, our findingsudsuggest that there are consistent gender differences in participation in walking for some purposes, including forudleisure, and that there are gender differences in the impact of age on walking. We conclude that more research isudneeded to improve our understanding of how walking fits into the lives of women and men across the life-course,udespecially in relation to gender differences in the impact of aging on walking.udProspero registration: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42015025961.
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