The association between physical activity and perceived environment in German adults

Background: There is a growing body of international data on the association between physical activity (PA) and variables of the perceived environment. German data is still lacking. The purpose of this study was to provide data on PA (moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) vs. walking) and the perceived environment in urban and rural areas. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey with inhabitants of urban (n = 310) and rural (n = 345) areas in the western part of Germany. The sample consisted of 655 adults [49.8% women; mean age = 43.3 (SD = 12.7)]. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)-short version and the IPAQ environmental module were used. Outcome variables were time in MVPA as well as in walking. We analysed the association between perceived environmental variables and PA by a series of linear regressions. Results: We observed associations between PA and access to destinations, well-maintained sidewalks, seeing physically active people in the neighbourhood, higher residential density and neighbourhood safety. The associations varied as a function of PA (MVPA vs. walking) and area (urban vs. rural). The variance explaining the models including environmental variables as well as sex and age ranged from 1% (model: MVPA in rural area) up to 9.9% (model MVPA in urban area). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the perceived environment is important to promote both MVPA and walking in rural and urban areas. To better understand environmental correlates in rural structures, we particularly need more specific studies.