Exploring the relationship between neighborhood walkability and mental health: A study of urban areas in Texas.

ABSTRACT:

Background

While importance of walkable neighborhoods for health is increasingly recognized, the relationship between walkability and mental health remains, especially in urban settings, unclear. This study investigated the link between walkability and mental health in urban Texas. We hypothesized that higher neighborhood walkability would correlate with lower mental health encounters.

Methods

A cross-sectional study using Texas adult outpatient encounters from 2014 to 2019 supplemented by ZIP Code-level US-census socioeconomics data. Neighborhood walkability was assessed using the 2019-WalkScore (0-100) and was categorized into four groups: from completely car-dependent to very walkable/walker's paradise. Outpatient mental health encounters included depression, bipolar diso

SUBMITTER: Makram OM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11876897 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature