Using Engagement-Based Strategies to Alter Perceptions of the Walking Environment
- Finding settings that are supportive of outdoor physical activity can be a challenge.
- Efforts to address this problem have primarily focused on altering the physical environment.
- Although this may be necessary, relying entirely on design-based solutions is problematic.
- One alternative involves manipulating how one interacts with the walking environment.
- To investigate this approach, 117 adults were randomly assigned to one of two treatments, namely, Standard Care (schedule setting) or Engagement (awareness plans) and asked to take at least three, 30-min outdoor walks each week for 2 weeks.
- Participants in both conditions reported significant increases in total time walking.
- However, only those in the Engagement condition became more satisfied with the walking setting.
- This effect was particularly strong for individuals who used awareness plans while walking with a partner.
- These findings suggest that encouraging more active engagement with the environment may make existing settings more acceptable for outdoor activity.
(Duvall, 2013). Environment & Behavior.
