• Jana A Hirsch, Kari A Moore, Kelly R Evenson, Daniel A Rodriguez, and Ana V Diez Roux.
• Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. jahirsch@umich.edu
• Am J Prev Med. 2013 Aug 1; 45 (2): 158-66.

BackgroundWalk Score® and Transit Score® are open-source measures of the neighborhood built environment to support walking ("walkability") and access to transportation.PurposeTo investigate associations of Street Smart Walk Score and Transit Score with self-reported transport and leisure walking using data from a large multicity and diverse population-based sample of adults.MethodsData from a sample of 4552 residents of Baltimore MD, Chicago IL, Forsyth County NC, Los Angeles CA, New York NY, and St. Paul MN from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (2010-2012) were linked to Walk Score and Transit Score (collected in 2012). Logistic and linear regression models estimated ORs of not walking and mean differences in minutes walked, respectively, associated with continuous and categoric Walk Score and Transit Score. All analyses were conducted in 2012.ResultsAfter adjustment for site, key sociodemographic, and health variables, a higher Walk Score was associated with lower odds of not walking for transport and more minutes/week of transport walking. Compared to those in a "walker's paradise," lower categories of Walk Score were associated with a linear increase in odds of not transport walking and a decline in minutes of leisure walking. An increase in Transit Score was associated with lower odds of not transport walking or leisure walking, and additional minutes/week of leisure walking.ConclusionsWalk Score and Transit Score appear to be useful as measures of walkability in analyses of neighborhood effects.Copyright © 2013 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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