Invited Perspective: Studying Walkability and Cancer Incidence—A Step in the Right Direction

Menée à partir des données d'une étude new-yorkaise portant sur 14 274 femmes (âge moyen : 50,6 ans ; durée moyenne de suivi : 24 ans), cette étude analyse l'association entre le fait de vivre dans un quartier où l'on peut se déplacer à pied facilement et le risque de cancer lié à l'obésité

Résumé en anglais

Walkability is a mixture of features of the built environment that provide opportunities to improve population health in myriad ways. First defined in the 1960s based on observations of sidewalks and safety in U.S. downtown areas, walkability, or features that increase our propensity to walk, has become a cornerstone of urban planning. At the population level, living in more walkable neighborhoods is associated with higher levels of physical activity and lower adiposity. Jeff Speck, a celebrated city planner who has worked with hundreds of American city mayors to improve the pedestrian experience, developed the General Theory of Walkability, which suggests that walks should be useful, safe, comfortable, and interesting. Tobin et al. quantified these attributes using geospatial data on land use mix, residential and business density, public transit, street connectivity, traffic calming measures, street trees, population density, and more. Walkable neighborhoods also tend to support active transportation and recreational physical activities, as well as social interactions. With the strengthening of evidence linking walkability with healthier body weight, epidemiologists have begun asking whether walkability reduces the risk of obesity-related chronic diseases (e.g., cancer) and mortality.