Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion (보건교육건강증진학회지)

Korean Society for Health Education and Promotion (한국보건교육건강증진학회)
권호 표지

Unveiling the Meaning of Walking for Health Promotion: The Perspectives of Urban Walkers

건강증진을 위한 걷기의 의미와 영향 요인: 도시 걷기 실천자들의 경험

  • Kim, Jin-Hee (Research Institute of Health Sciences, Korea University) ;
  • Yoo, Seung-Hyun (Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University) ;
  • Sim, Sor-Young (Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University)
  • 김진희 (고려대학교 보건과학연구소) ;
  • 유승현 (서울대학교 보건대학원) ;
  • 심소령 (서울대학교 보건대학원)
  • Received : 2011.11.30
  • Accepted : 2011.12.30
  • Published : 2011.12.31
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Objectives: This study identifies the meaning of walking and its facilitating factors and barriers from the perspective of urban walkers in Seoul. Methods: The participants consisted of twelve people who either lived or worked in Gangnam district of Seoul. The study applied the data collection process featured in the photovoice, in which the participants took photographs and shared their stories through focus group interviews. Results: Walking is regarded as one of the easiest types of physical activity. While walking, participants find mental tranquility, communication opportunities, and a chance to step back from their everyday lives. Facilitating factors include: access to walking-friendly venues and attractive surrounding environments; the participant's assimilation into the surrounding area; having the feeling of ease and relaxation; and friends and family to walk together. Barriers consist of physical factors such as street design and the busy urban streets, insensitive traffic and low civic awareness, and personal situational factors. Conclusions: The benefit of walking exceeds beyond those of physical health promotion. Actions to encourage walking in urban areas should address the multiple meanings perceived by their citizens.

Keywords

References

  1. Ann, E. S., & Lee, Y. S. (2007). Impact of a media-campaign to promote walking on awareness & behavior change. Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion, 24(4), 99-114.
  2. Bassett, D. R., Jr., Pucher, J., Buehler, R., Thompson, D. L., & Crouter, S. E. (2008). Walking, cycling, and obesity rates in Europe, North America, and Australia. Journal of Physical Activity & Health, 5(6), 795-814. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.5.6.795
  3. Cho, B-H. (2010). The past and current status of community-based health promotion. Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion, 27(4), 1-6.
  4. Cradock, A. L., Troped, P. J., Fields, B., Melly, S. J., Simms, S. V., Gimmler, F., & Fowler, M. (2009). Factors associated with federal transportation funding for local pedestrian and bicycle programming and facilities. Journal of Public Health Policy, 30(S1), S38-S72. https://doi.org/10.1057/jphp.2008.60
  5. Giles-Corti, B., & Donovan, R. J. (2003). Relative influences of individual, social environmental, and physical environmental correlates of walking. American Journal of Public Health, 93(9), 1583. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.93.9.1583
  6. Gomes, G. A., Reis, R. S., Parra, D. C., Ribeiro, I., Hino, A. A., Hallal, P. C., ... Brownson, R. C. (2011). Walking for leisure among adults from three Brazilian cities and its association with perceived environment attributes and personal factors. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 8, 111. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-8-111
  7. Han, J. A., Chung, J.-H., & Kim, D.-J. (2011). The effects of the physical activity program on body composition, depression and risk factors of dementia in the elderly women. Journal of Life Science, 21(3), 424-434. https://doi.org/10.5352/JLS.2011.21.3.424
  8. Hwang, H. J., Kim, K. Y., Lee, M. S., Na, B. J., & Kim, D. K. (2009). The effect of walking program on the women in a rural community. Journal of the Korean Society of Maternal and Child Health, 13(1), 51-60. https://doi.org/10.21896/jksmch.2009.13.1.51
  9. Hyoung, H. K., & Kim, H. S. (2008). The effect of brisk walking exercise program on body composition, blood pressure, blood glucose and blood lipid for middle-aged woman with Obesity. Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science, 10(1), 62-68.
  10. Israel, B. A., Schulz, J. A. J., Parker, E. A., Becker, A. B., Allen A. J. III., & Guzman, J. R. (2003). Critical issues in developing and following community-based participatory research principles. In Minkler M, Wallerstein N., (Eds). Community-based participatory research for Health. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2003. 56-73.
  11. Jekal Y. (2010). Socio-demographic and environmental factors associated with walking for exercise in young adults. Journal of the Korean Society of Living Environmental System, 17(2), 235-345.
  12. Jo, H. S., Song, Y. L. A., Hong S. Y., Yoo, S., & Lee, J. R. (2007). Factors associated with participation in a walking campaign. Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion, 24(3), 73-86.
  13. Johnson, S. T., Bell, G. J., McCargar, L. J., Welsh, R. S., & Bell, R. C. (2009). Improved cardiovascular health following a progressive walking and dietary intervention for type 2 diabetes. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 11(9), 836-843. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-1326.2009.01050.x
  14. Kahlmeier, S., Racioppi, F., Cavill, N., Rutter, H., & Oja, P. (2010). "Health in all policies" in practice: guidance and tools to quantifying the health effects of cycling and walking. Journal of Physical Activity & Health, 7(S1), S120-125. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.7.s1.s120
  15. Kitchen, P., Williams, A., & Chowhan, J. (2011). Walking to work in Canada: health benefits, socio-economic characteristics and urban-regional variations. BMC Public Health, 11, 212. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-11-212
  16. Ko, K. J. (2010). The effects of walking exercise program on aging-related hormones in elderly men. Journal of Korean Society for Health Education and Promotion, 27(4), 73-81.
  17. Korean Center for Disease Control. (2008) Korean Nutrition and Health Examination Survey.
  18. Kosmadakis, G. C., John, S. G., Clapp, E. L., Viana, J. L., Smith, A. C., Bishop, N. C., ... Feehally, J. (2011). Benefits of regular walking exercise in advanced pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation. 2011 Jul 27. [Epub ahead of print]
  19. Krieger, J., Rabkin, J., Sharify, D., & Song, L. (2009). High point walking for health: creating built and social environments that support walking in a public housing community. American Journal of Public Health, 99(S3), S593-599. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2009.164384
  20. Lee, J. S., Nargund-Joshi, V., & Dennis, B. (2010). Progressing through the haze in science and mathematics education research: contemporary use of Spradley's qualitative inquiry in two case studies. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 10(1), 42-57.
  21. Lim, H. J., Kim, Y. S., Cho, H. S., Kim, C. H., Lim, H. J., Jeong, H. S., Suh, S. H. (2009). Effects of regular walking exercise on health-related parameters in persons with chronic diseases. Journal of Life Science, 19(12), 1750-1757. https://doi.org/10.5352/JLS.2009.19.12.1750
  22. McGinn, A. P., Evenson, K. R., Herring, A. H., Huston, S. L., & Rodriguez, D. A. (2007). Exploring associations between physical activity and perceived and objective measures of the built environment. Journal of Urban Health, 84(2), 162-184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-006-9136-4
  23. Monness, E., & Sjolie, A. N. (2009). An alternative design for small-scale school health experiments: does daily walking produce benefits in physical performance of school children? Child Care Health Dev, 35(6), 858-867. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2009.00917.x
  24. Office of the Surgeon General. (1998). Physical activity and health: a report of the Surgeon General: Jones & Bartlett Pub.
  25. Panter, J., Griffin, S., Jones, A., Mackett, R., & Ogilvie, D. (2011). Correlates of time spent walking and cycling to and from work: baseline results from the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 8(1), 124. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-8-124
  26. Park, S. H., Choi, Y. M., & Seo, H. L. (2008) Measuring walkability in urban residential neighborhoods: development of walkability indicators, Seoul, Korea. Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Planning & Design, 24(1), 161-172.
  27. Pucher, J., Buehler, R., Bassett, D. R., & Dannenberg, A. L. (2010). Walking and cycling to health: a comparative analysis of city, state, and international data. American Journal of Public Health, 100(10), 1986-1992. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2009.189324
  28. Pucher J., Buehler R., Merom D., & Bauman A. (2011). Walking and cycling in the United States, 2001-2009: evidence from the National Household Travel Surveys. American Journal of Public Health, 101(S1), S310-317. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2010.300067
  29. Roh, K. H. (2002). The effect of home stayed stroke patients' gait, valance, activities of daily living, depression in the aerobic walking exercise program. The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing, 5(2), 193-204.
  30. Seo, H. L., Choi, Y. M., & Park, S. H. (2011). An empirical study of walking amounts and routes in residential neighborhoods-based on Seoul Bukchon housewives' walking data drawn from GPS. Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Planning & Design, 28(9), 271-281.
  31. Spradley, J. (1979). The ethnographic interview. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
  32. Waddington, G., Dickson, T., Trathen, S., & Adams, R. (2011). Walking for fitness: is it enough to maintain both heart and bone health? Australian Journal of Primary Health, 17(1), 86-88. https://doi.org/10.1071/PY10035
  33. Wang, C., & Burris, M. A. (1994). Empowerment through photo novella: Portraits of participation. Health Education & Behavior, 21(2), 171. https://doi.org/10.1177/109019819402100204
  34. Wang, C., & Burris, M. A. (1997). Photovoice: concept, methodology, and use for participatory needs assessment. Health Education & Behavior, 24(3), 369-387. https://doi.org/10.1177/109019819702400309
  35. Wang, C., Yi, W. K., Tao, Z. W., & Carovano, K. (1998) Photovoice as a participatory health promotion strategy. Health Promotion International. 13(1), 75-86. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/13.1.75
  36. Warburton, D. E. R., Nicol, C. W., & Bredin, S. S. D. (2006). Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 174(6), 801. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.051351
  37. Wilson, D. K., Trumpeter, N. N., St George, S. M., Coulon, S. M., Griffin, S., Lee Van Horn, M., Gadson, B. (2010). An overview of the "Positive Action for Today's Health" (PATH) trial for increasing walking in low income, ethnic minority communities. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 31(6), 624-633. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2010.08.009
  38. WHO. (2005) The Bangkok Charter for Health Promotion in a Globalized World. 6th Global Conference on Health Promotion. available at http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/conferences/6gchp/bangkok_charter/en/ [Accessed Dec 17, 2010]
  39. WHO. (2010). Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health. Geneva, Switzerland.
  40. WHO/EURO. (2006). Physical activity and health in Europe: evidence for action. In Nick Cavill, Sonja Kahlmeier & F. Racioppi (Eds.).
  41. Woodcock, J., Edwards, P., Tonne, C., Armstrong, B. G., Ashiru, O., Banister, D., ... Roberts, I. (2009). Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: urban land transport. The Lancet, 374(9705), 1930-1943. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61714-1
  42. Yoo, J. H., & Jo, H. S. (2009). The effects of a compound exercise and a walking exercise program on body composition, perceived health status, and stress for thin-obesity college women. Journal of Korean Society for Health Education and Promotion, 26(4), 91-103.
  43. Yu, G. W., Min, S., Park, J. K., Kim, H. S., Ha, Y. J., & Kim, Y. S. (2010). The effect of walking exercise program in the middle aged women on physiological Index. Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science, 12(1), 1-7.