A multidisciplinary examination of walkability: Its concept, measurement and applicability

This thesis explores the term ‘walkability’, how itis understood, measured and what role it plays in neighbourhood mobility and physical activity behaviours. Two groups are of interest in this study, the professionals tasked with planning and designing neighbourhoods and the residents who live within these environments. This thesis outlines a mixed methods project comprising of a literature review and four studies. The literature review analyses the concept of walkability with particular focus on identifying and collating neighbourhood meatures associated with walking behaviour and how they are measured. An online survey was used to understand level of ambiguity, or agreement, between relevant professions on the elements of walkable environments in study one. Study two further explores walkability using a phenomenological study with a select group from study one. In study three, a novel site selection process, based on the findings of the previous studies, was used to identify high and low walkable areas in the GreaterDublin Area. Study four describes a cross sectional study which was undertaken to investigate the environmental perceptions and behaviours of residents living in identified neighbourhoods. Univariate analyses were carried out on correlates of interest to compare the four area catagories; high walkable deprived, high walkable not deprived, low walkable deprived and low walkable not deprived. In conclusion, ambiguity exists in both the understanding and measurement of walkability. Neighbourhood walkability is dependent on the physical environment, the social environment, and how both are perceived. They key elements for consideration are: (i) scale, (ii) permeability, (iii) a liveablevillage centre and (iv) the streetscape with particular emphasis on transparency and no visual disorder. A model was proposed for future multivariate analysis which considers the many influential correlates of walkability

The National Exercise Referral Framework

A 2013 Review of the HSE funded GP Exercise Referral Programme (GPERP) highlighted the need for a new National Exercise Referral Framework (NERF). The evidence suggests that exercise referral is an effective targeted health intervention for specific patients and with the increasing prevalence of chronic disease it is imperative that we examine, design and progress the implementation of scalable, sustainable evidence-based, interventions, integrated across the health system to improve the health and wellbeing of the population. The development of this proposed National Exercise Referral Framework, commissioned by Health Promotion and Improvement, was led by DCU involving a multi-disciplinary Working Group and supported by a HSE Cross-Divisional Group. We are grateful to the Working Group and in particular to Dr Catherine Woods and the team in DCU for their extensive work and commitment to this project. There are a number of practical steps now required to determine the feasibility of the proposed framework as a national model namely, identification of a sustainable funding model; design and development of chronic disease care pathways and a phased implementation plan that would build on the existing programmes. The Health & Wellbeing Division of the HSE will lead the next phase of this project