Factors associated with use of a rail-trail and participation in physical activity in a Massachusetts community

Research on associations between the physical environment and physical activity (PA) in adults is limited. Improved understanding in this area could lead to more effective promotion of PA. Two primary aims of this study were to examine the associations between individual, interpersonal and environmental factors and use of a paved rail-trail (Minuteman Bikeway) and the associations with stages of change for recreational and transportation PA. During 1998 a random sample of 1002 adults from Arlington, Massachusetts, aged 18 years and older, were mailed a PA survey. Measures included self-efficacy and social support for PA, stages of change for recreational and transportation PA, perceived neighborhood environment, and specific environmental barriers to Bikeway use. The survey response rate was 47.9% (n = 419). Geographic information system (GIS) data were used to geocode respondents' homes and create three objective environmental variables: distance to the Bikeway, steep hill and busy street barriers. Two multiple logistic models were developed: one using survey variables, and the other survey and GIS variables. Younger age, male gender, higher self-efficacy and social support for PA were significantly associated with Bikeway use in both models. Self-reported distance showed a significant inverse association with Bikeway use in women only (OR = 0.56) and GIS distance was significant for both men and women (OR = 0.60). Respondents who did not report a busy street barrier (OR = 2.49) or did not have a GIS steep hill barrier (OR = 1.83) were more likely to be Bikeway users than those with these barriers. Generalized logit regression demonstrated that education, self-efficacy for PA, and social support for PA from family and friends were positively associated with recreational PA stages of change (p < 0.05). Alternatively, rating one's neighborhood as more commercial versus residential and rating one's neighborhood more positively were significantly associated with more active stages of change for transportation PA. Implications for promoting PA include considering: (1) environmental barriers such as busy streets when planning community trails; (2) recreational and transportation PA as distinct behaviors with different determinants; and (3) GIS as a promising technology for studying environmental factors that may influence PA.