Twin Cities Walking Survey

Abstract

The Twin Cities Walking Survey (TCWS) is a comprehensive research instrument developed in 2004 as part of the Active Living Research (ALR) initiative, primarily focused in St. Paul, Minnesota. The survey compiles various established measures designed to assess the complex interplay between environmental and social factors and individual walking behavior. Key areas of assessment include neighborhood density, street connectivity, perceptions of safety, retail environment access, social support structures, and overall quality of life, providing crucial data for understanding the correlates of physical activity in urban populations.

Keywords

Walking behavior, physical activity, neighborhood environment, St. Paul, Minnesota, Active Living Research, pedestrian safety, social factors, environmental correlates, community health.

Authors

Kathryn H. Schmitz, Ann Forsyth, J. M. Oakes

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Twin Cities Walking Survey is to systematically assess the environmental and social determinants that influence walking behavior and overall physical activity levels. Developed from discussions among Round 2 ALR grantees, the instrument was specifically designed to provide common, standardized measures across various community-based physical activity projects.

The survey is instrumental in evaluating how specific attributes of the built environment—such as street connectivity, neighborhood density, and the availability of retail services—interact with social factors like neighborhood crime perceptions and social support to affect residents’ decisions regarding walking and cycling.

Construct

The TCWS is a multi-construct instrument, focusing broadly on the environmental and social determinants of active living. It measures several distinct but interrelated psychological and environmental concepts:

• Perceived Neighborhood Environment: This includes assessments of crime levels, social cohesion, and the aesthetic quality of the neighborhood, which are known to influence willingness to walk.
• Access and Safety: The scale measures perceptions of pedestrian and bicycle safety, as well as access to retail environments and public transport.
• Physical Activity Levels: The survey incorporates measures like the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to quantify participants’ current levels of physical activity.
• Quality of Life: Broader measures of well-being and satisfaction are included to contextualize the impact of neighborhood attributes.

Validity

Specific comprehensive validity studies (e.g., construct validity or criterion validity) for the entire compiled instrument have not been extensively detailed in the provided references. However, because the Twin Cities Walking Survey is a compilation of multiple established measures, the individual components often possess previously documented validity. The focus of the referenced studies was primarily on the application of the measures to test neighborhood effects on behavior.

Reliability

Data supporting the survey’s reliability have been published, focusing specifically on test-retest reliability. The study by Forsyth, Oakes, and Schmitz (2009) confirmed the temporal stability of many of the measures contained within the TCWS, indicating that the instrument provides consistent results over time when administered to the same population.

Factor Analysis

Explicit, overarching factor analysis for the entire compilation of the Twin Cities Walking Survey is not detailed in the available source content. Given that the TCWS is an aggregation of pre-existing scales (which often have their own factor structures), subsequent research using the TCWS may have applied factor analysis to specific sub-sections to confirm the underlying dimensions relevant to the St. Paul context.

Instrument

Test Type: Composite Survey / Structured Interview

Format: The survey is a compilation of measures, primarily utilizing various Likert-type scales for measuring perceptions and attitudes, supplemented by standard demographic questions and physical activity questionnaires (such as the IPAQ).

Language Available: English (developed and administered in Minnesota, USA).

Population Group: Community-dwelling adults.

Age Group: Adults (specific age ranges are not provided, but the research context implies an adult population capable of completing a lengthy interview).

Population Details: Pilot testing involved 40 racially diverse volunteers in Minnesota, ensuring the instrument was workable across varied demographic groups within the local context.

Test Methodology: The survey is administered as a structured interview. Initial pilot testing suggested completion times of approximately 45 minutes, although other sources indicate the full interview may take up to an hour and a half to complete, depending on the detail required in the demographic and activity sections.

Keywords

Built environment, physical activity measurement, street connectivity, neighborhood density, IPAQ, Likert scales, survey compilation, environmental correlates, Twin Cities.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source content.

Correspondence Address: Correspondence is typically directed through the principal investigators, Ann Forsyth or Kathryn H. Schmitz, affiliated with academic institutions involved in the Active Living Research network.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: Development initiated circa 2004, following the Active Living Research conference.

Permissions and Fee: As a research instrument developed through publicly funded grants (ALR), the measures are generally intended for academic use, though specific licensing or permission requirements for use outside of affiliated research groups should be verified with the corresponding authors.

The original survey document is available for review. The file can be downloaded here: Twin Cities Walking Study Document.

Reference’s

The following references document the development, psychometrics, and application of the Twin Cities Walking Survey:

• Oakes, J. M., Forsyth, A., & Schmitz, K. H. (2007). The effects of neighborhood density and street connectivity on walking behavior: the Twin Cities walking study. Epidemiologic perspectives innovations EPI, 4(4), 16.
• Forsyth, A., Oakes, J. M., & Schmitz, K. H. (2009). Test-retest reliability of the Twin Cities Walking Survey. Journal of physical activity health, 6(1), 119-131.
• Oakes, J. M., Forsyth, A., Hearst, M. O., & Schmitz, K. H. (2008). Recruiting Participants for Neighborhood Effects Research: Strategies and Outcomes of the Twin Cities Walking Study. Environment And Behavior, 41(6), 787-805.

Items of the Twin Cities Walking Survey

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

The source content does not provide the specific scale items of the Twin Cities Walking Survey, only a summary of the broad categories and constructs measured (e.g., quality of life, perceptions of neighborhood environment, demographics, retail environment, and pedestrian and bicycle safety). The survey is described as a compilation of measures using different Likert-type scales, including standardized sections like the IPAQ. For the full list of items, researchers should consult the downloadable document referenced above.