TABLE 2—
Characteristics of the Perceived Physical Environment Among Participants in the US Physical Activity Study, by Sex and Income Level, 1999–2000
| Women, % (95% CI) | Men, % (95% CI) | |||||
| Environmental Characteristic | Total | Lower Incomea | Higher Incomeb | Total | Lower Incomea | Higher Incomeb |
| General access variables | ||||||
| Places to exercise | 78.8 (76.4, 81.2) | 69.3 (65.3, 73.3) | 87.7 (85.0, 90.4) | 87.3 (84.5, 90.1) | 81.6 (76.3, 86.9) | 90.8 (87.7, 93.9) |
| Indoor or outdoor | 56.8 (53.8, 59.8) | 48.3 (44.0, 52.6) | 64.7 (60.7, 68.7) | 64.3 (60.3, 68.3) | 27.8 (21.1, 34.5) | 68.3 (63.3, 73.3) |
| Indoor only | 15.6 (1.7, 29.5) | 13.9 (10.9, 16.9) | 17.1 (14.0, 20.2) | 13.2 (10.4, 16.0) | 13.1 (8.5, 17.7) | 13.3 (9.7, 16.9) |
| Outdoor only | 6.5 (5.0, 8.0) | 7.1 (4.9, 9.3) | 5.9 (3.9, 7.9) | 9.7 (7.2, 12.2) | 10.7 (6.5, 14.9) | 9.2 (6.1, 12.3) |
| Specific access variablesc | ||||||
| Walking/jogging trail | 24.6 (21.8, 27.4) | 21.2 (17.2, 25.2) | 27.5 (23.6, 31.4) | 25.0 (21.1, 28.9) | 28.6 (21.8, 35.4) | 23.0 (18.2, 27.8) |
| Neighborhood streets | 64.5 (61.4, 67.6) | 63.5 (58.8, 68.2) | 65.4 (61.2, 69.6) | 68.2 (64.0, 72.4) | 76.8 (70.4, 83.2) | 63.3 (57.8, 68.8) |
| Park | 28.2 (25.3, 31.1) | 25.3 (21.1, 29.5) | 30.5 (26.4, 34.6) | 33.5 (29.2, 37.8) | 38.7 (31.3, 46.1) | 30.7 (25.5, 35.9) |
| Shopping mall | 41.2 (38.0, 44.4) | 43.1 (38.3, 47.9) | 39.7 (35.4, 44.0) | 31.0 (26.8, 35.2) | 36.9 (29.6, 44.2) | 27.7 (22.6, 32.8) |
| Indoor gym | 19.5 (16.9, 22.1) | 16.1 (12.5, 19.7) | 22.4 (18.7, 26.1) | 26.1 (22.1, 30.1) | 27.4 (20.7, 34.1) | 25.3 (20.4, 30.2) |
| Treadmill | 24.3 (21.5, 27.1) | 18.7 (14.9, 22.5) | 28.9 (24.9, 32.9) | 25.9 (21.9, 29.9) | 20.8 (14.7, 26.9) | 28.7 (23.6, 33.8) |
| Neighborhood characteristics | ||||||
| Sidewalks present | 61.2 (58.3, 64.1) | 62.4 (58.2, 66.6) | 60.2 (56.1, 64.3) | 64.8 (60.8, 68.8) | 67.1 (60.7, 73.5) | 63.3 (58.2, 68.4) |
| Enjoyable scenery | 76.4 (73.9, 78.9) | 70.3 (66.4, 74.2) | 82.1 (78.9, 85.3) | 82.2 (79.0, 85.4) | 79.6 (74.1, 85.1) | 83.7 (79.8, 87.6) |
| Heavy traffic | 44.1 (41.1, 47.1) | 50.6 (46.3, 54.9) | 38.1 (34.1, 42.1) | 42.6 (38.4, 46.8) | 48.8 (42.0, 55.6) | 38.9 (33.7, 44.1) |
| Hills | 40.1 (37.2, 43.0) | 36.1 (31.9, 40.3) | 43.8 (39.7, 47.9) | 46.8 (42.6, 51.0) | 43.0 (36.3, 49.7) | 49.1 (43.8, 54.4) |
| Streetlights | 74.1 (71.5, 76.7) | 75.3 (71.6, 79.0) | 73.0 (69.3, 76.7) | 75.0 (71.4, 78.6) | 78.7 (73.1, 84.3) | 72.8 (68.1, 77.5) |
| Unattended dogs | 44.5 (41.5, 47.5) | 48.6 (44.3, 52.9) | 40.6 (36.5, 44.7) | 35.8 (31.8, 39.8) | 38.2 (31.6, 44.8) | 34.3 (29.2, 39.4) |
| Foul air from cars/factories | 18.1 (15.8, 20.4) | 21.6 (18.1, 25.1) | 14.8 (11.8, 17.8) | 23.1 (19.6, 26.6) | 27.1 (21.0, 33.2) | 20.7 (16.4, 25.0) |
Note. CI = confidence interval.
aLess than $20 000 annually.
b$20 000 and higher annually.
cInformation on specific access variables was collected only for respondents reporting some type of physical activity.