by Neil Caudle

Trails, streetlights, and places where people can engage in physical activity all make a difference in how much they exercise, according to a study by researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. In a survey of 1,796 adults selected at random in North Carolina, the researchers found a statistically significant relation between access to exercise-friendly places and levels of physical activity. The study also revealed that African Americans, American Indians, and people with lower levels of income or education were among those least likely to get the recommended amount of physical activity. The same groups reported that their neighborhood environments provided less access to exercise. Sara Huston, research assistant professor of epidemiology in the School of Public Health, and Kelly Evenson, research assistant professor in the same department, were among the authors of the study, which was published in the September/October issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion. Other authors included Phil Bors of Active Living by Design and Ziya Gizlice, N.C. Center for Health Statistics.