Table 3.
Factor structure of the Australian version of the Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale (n = 1, 656).
| Item no.a | Item | Item loading on each factorb | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Factor 1 | Factor 2 | Factor 3 | Factor 4 | Factor 5 | ||
| A1 | Can do most shopping | 0.81 | ||||
| A2 | Many shops within easy walking distance | 0.89 | ||||
| A3 | Many places to go within easy walking distance | 0.85 | ||||
| A4 | Easy to walk to public transport stop | −0.54 | ||||
| A5 | Streets in local area are hilly | 0.39 | ||||
| A6 | Major barriers to walking | 0.53 | ||||
| A7 | Car parking difficult in shopping areas | 0.50 | ||||
| B1 | Footpaths on most of the streets | −0.75 | ||||
| B2 | Footpaths are well maintained | −0.63 | ||||
| B3 | Park or nature reserve easily accessible | −0.43 | ||||
| B4 | Grass/dirt strip separating streets from footpaths | −0.58 | ||||
| B5 | Footpaths separated from road/traffic by parked cars | 0.28 | ||||
| B6 | Bicycle or walking paths easily accessible | −0.50 | ||||
| C1 | Lots of greenery around the local area | 0.63 | ||||
| C2 | Tree cover or canopy along footpaths | 0.50 | ||||
| C3 | Many interesting things to look at | 0.74 | ||||
| C4 | Local area free from litter, rubbish, or graffiti | 0.53 | ||||
| C5 | Attractive buildings and homes | 0.67 | ||||
| C6 | Pleasant natural features | 0.70 | ||||
| D1 | Lots of traffic along most nearby streets | 0.68 | ||||
| D2 | Live on or near main arterial road or throughway for motor vehicles | 0.58 | ||||
| D3 | Speed of traffic usually slow | 0.29 | ||||
| D4 | Many traffic slowing devices | −0.38 | ||||
| D5 | Busy streets have pedestrian crossings and traffic signals | −0.50 | ||||
| D6 | A lot of exhaust fumes | 0.61 | ||||
| E1 | Streets are well lit at night | −0.51 | ||||
| E2 | A lot of petty crime | 0.78 | ||||
| E3 | A lot of major crime | 0.79 | ||||
| E4 | Level of crime makes it unsafe to walk during the day | 0.66 | ||||
| E5 | Level of crime makes it unsafe to walk at night | 0.82 | ||||
| E6 | Feel safe walking home from a bus or train stop at night | −0.62 | ||||
aNEWS-AU subscales: [51] A: access to services; B: infrastructure for walking/cycling; C: aesthetics; D: traffic safety; E: crime safety. bFactors derived from this analysis: factor 1: aesthetics; factor 2: crime; factor 3: infrastructure for walking; factor 4: access to services; factor 5: barriers to walking.