Transportation and Leisure Walking Among U.S. Adults: Trends in Reported Prevalence and Volume, National Health Interview Survey 2005-2015.

INTRODUCTION: Promotion of walking is a promising strategy for increasing physical activity levels in the U.S. The proportion of adults who report walking for either transportation or leisure has increased in recent years, but evidence on trends in walking for specific purposes is limited.

METHODS: The 2005, 2010, and 2015 National Health Interview Survey assessed self-reported participation in and volume (minutes/week) of walking for transportation and leisure in the past week among adults aged ≥18 years. Linear and quadratic trends in the prevalence and mean volume of walking for each purpose were evaluated using logistic and linear regression. Analyses were performed in 2017.

RESULTS: The prevalence of transportation walking increased from 28.4% (2005) to 31.7% (2015) (linear trend: p<0.05). Leisure walking prevalence increased from 42.1% (2005) to 52.1% (2015), but the increased stalled from 2010 to 2015 with only a 2.3 percentage point increase (linear and quadratic trends: p<0.05). Across purposes, the mean walking volume decreased from 2005 to 2015, with no significant changes between 2010 and 2015 (linear and quadratic trends: p<0.05). The proportion of adults who walked for both transportation and leisure in the past week increased steadily (linear trend: p<0.05), and this group reported the greatest total volume of walking.

CONCLUSIONS: Although the prevalence of self-reported transportation and leisure walking increased during the last decade, the time spent walking has decreased. Strategies that encourage walking for multiple purposes may present an opportunity for increasing both participation in walking and the amount of time spent walking.