To identify differences in interpersonal safety concerns during outdoor, daytime physical activities by sex and race/ethnicity.
Design and Setting
We analyzed data from the 2022 SummerStyles, a nationwide online survey of US households.
Sample
3,772 adults.
Measures
Participants reported the presence and types of interpersonal safety concerns during outdoor activities, including harassment or violence, non-violent crime, being alone, being around strangers, or police presence.
Analysis
We estimated the weighted prevalence of concerns and used Wald chi-square and pairwise testing to identify differences by sex and race/ethnicity. We used logistic regression to explore these differences by race/ethnicity, stratified by sex and adjusted for age, household income, and urbanicity.
Results
26.6% of adults (95% CI: 24.8-28.4) reported at least one safety concern, with significant differences by sex (34.6% of females: 31.9-37.4 vs 18.6% of males: 16.5-20.9) and race/ethnicity (38.7% Hispanic or Latino/a: 33.2-44.4 vs 26.0% Black: 21.1-31.5 and 22.4% White: 20.5-24.5). Females consistently reported more concerns, including harassment, being alone, and being around strangers. Adjusted analyses revealed further differences by sex, including between Hispanic or Latino and White males.
Conclusions
Over 1 in 4 US adults reported interpersonal safety concerns during outdoor activities, with differences in types and prevalence of concerns across sex and racial/ethnic groups. Addressing these concerns may enhance physical activity promotion efforts.
ElgaddalNKramarowEAReubenC. Physical activity among adults aged 18 and over: United states, 2020. NCHS Data Brief. 2022;443:1-8.
3.
Rees-PuniaEHathawayEDGayJL. Crime, perceived safety, and physical activity: a meta-analysis. Prev Med. 2018;111:307-313. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2017.11.017
4.
WeselyJKGaarderE. The gendered “nature” of the urban outdoors: women negotiating fear of violence. Gend Soc. 2018;18(5):645-663. doi:10.1177/0891243204268127
5.
WhitfieldGPCarlsonSAUsseryEN, et al.Racial and ethnic differences in perceived safety barriers to walking, United States national health interview survey – 2015. Prev Med. 2018;114:57-63. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.06.003
6.
SchmidTLFultonJEMcMahonJMDevlinHMRoseKMPetersenR. Delivering physical activity strategies that work: active people, healthy nationsm. J Phys Act Health. 2021;18(4):352-356. doi:10.1123/jpah.2020-0656
7.
KottkeTEPronkNPWoodardCArenaR. The potential influence of firearm violence on physical inactivity in the United States. Am J Med. 2024;137:426-432. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2024.01.030
8.
StodolskaMShinewKJ. Environmental constraints on leisure time physical activity among Latino urban residents. Qual Res Sport Exerc. 2010;2(3):313-335. doi:10.1080/19398441.2010.517038
9.
JosephRPAinsworthBEKellerCDodgsonJE. Barriers to physical activity among African American women: an integrative review of the literature. Women Health. 2015;55(6):679-699. doi:10.1080/03630242.2015.1039184
10.
EylerAAMatson-KoffmanDYoungDR, et al.Quantitative study of correlates of physical activity in women from diverse racial/ethnic groups: the women's cardiovascular health network project summary and conclusions. Am J Prev Med. 2003;25(3, Supplement 1):93-103. doi:10.1016/S0749-3797(03)00170-3
11.
Quickstats: percentage* of adults aged ≥18 years who felt that crime makes it unsafe to walk,(†) by sex and age group - national health interview survey,(§) United States, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2022;71(20):692. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7120a5
12.
LovasiGSHutsonMAGuerraMNeckermanKM. Built environments and obesity in disadvantaged populations. Epidemiol Rev. 2009;31:7-20. doi:10.1093/epirev/mxp005
13.
WilsonDKKirtlandKAAinsworthBEAddyCL. Socioeconomic status and perceptions of access and safety for physical activity. Ann Behav Med. 2004;28(1):20-28. doi:10.1207/s15324796abm2801_4
14.
ArmsteadTLWilkinsNNationM. Structural and social determinants of inequities in violence risk: a review of indicators. J Community Psychol. 2021;49(4):878-906. doi:10.1002/jcop.22232
15.
JacksonJ. A psychological perspective on vulnerability in the fear of crime. Psychology, Crime & Law. 2009;15(4):365-390. doi:10.1080/10683160802275797
16.
LauritsenJLRezeyML. Measuring the Prevalence of Crime with the National Crime Victimization Survey. 2013. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Technical Report. https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/mpcncvs.pdf
17.
BengoecheaEGSpenceJCMcGannonKR. Gender differences in perceived environmental correlates of physical activity. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2005;2(1):12. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-2-12
18.
PengBNgJYYHaAS. Barriers and facilitators to physical activity for young adult women: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative literature. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2023;20(1):23. doi:10.1186/s12966-023-01411-7
19.
BasileKCDeGueSJonesK, et al.Stop sv: A Technical Package to Prevent Sexual Violence. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2016.
20.
SampsonRJRaudenbushSWEarlsF. Neighborhoods and violent crime: a multilevel study of collective efficacy. Science. 1997;277(5328):918-924. doi:10.1126/science.277.5328.918
21.
CraigBMHaysRDPickardASCellaDRevickiDAReeveBB. Comparison of us panel vendors for online surveys. J Med Internet Res. 2013;15(11):e260. doi:10.2196/jmir.2903
22.
GómezCAKleinmanDVPronkN, et al.Addressing health equity and social determinants of health through healthy people 2030. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2021;27(Supplement 6):S249-S257. doi:10.1097/phh.0000000000001297
23.
DingD. Ecological models: application to physical activity. In: GellmanMDTurnerJR, eds. Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. New York: Springer; 2013:645-647.
24.
TaylorNLPorterJMBryanSHarmonKJSandtLS. Structural racism and pedestrian safety: measuring the association between historical redlining and contemporary pedestrian fatalities across the United States, 2010‒2019. Am J Public Health. 2023;113(4):420-428. doi:10.2105/ajph.2022.307192
25.
SchleimerJPBuggsSAMcCortCD, et al.Neighborhood racial and economic segregation and disparities in violence during the covid-19 pandemic. Am J Public Health. 2022;112(1):144-153. doi:10.2105/ajph.2021.306540
26.
LarsenBANobleMLMurrayKEMarcusBH. Physical activity in Latino men and women: facilitators, barriers, and interventions. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2015/01/01. 2014;9(1):4-30. doi:10.1177/1559827614521758
27.
World Health Organization. Global Status Report on Physical Activity 2022. World Health Organization; 2022.
28.
Office of the Surgeon General. Publications and Reports of the Surgeon General. Step it Up! the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Walking and Walkable Communities. US Department of Health and Human Services; 2015.
29.
CDC. (2024). Community Violence Prevention Resource for Action: A Compilation of the Best Available Evidence for Youth and Young Adults. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
30.
MatjaskoJLChenZWhitfieldGPWhitselLPRoseKRoyK. Inadequate aerobic physical activity and healthcare expenditures in the United States: an updated cost estimate. Am J Health Promot. 2025;39:1085-1087. doi:10.1177/08901171251357128
31.
ZhangRWulffHDuanYWagnerP. Associations between the physical environment and park-based physical activity: a systematic review. J Sport Health Sci. 2019;8(5):412-421. doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2018.11.002
32.
SalvoGLashewiczBMDoyle-BakerPKMcCormackGR. Neighbourhood built environment influences on physical activity among adults: a systematized review of qualitative evidence. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(5):897.
33.
AiyerSMZimmermanMAMorrel-SamuelsSReischlTM. From broken windows to busy streets: a community empowerment perspective. Health Educ Behav. 2015;42(2):137-147. doi:10.1177/1090198114558590
34.
RuppLAZimmermanMASlyKW, et al.Community-engaged neighborhood revitalization and empowerment: busy streets theory in action. Am J Community Psychol. 2020;65(1-2):90-106. doi:10.1002/ajcp.12358
35.
KassavouATurnerAFrenchDP. Do interventions to promote walking in groups increase physical activity? A meta-analysis. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2013;10:18. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-10-18
