Validation of the Urban Walkability Perception Questionnaire (UWPQ) in the Balearic Islands

Abstract

Within the context of promoting the “healthy routes” program, the aim of this study was to validate the urban walkability perception questionnaire (UWPQ) in the Balearic Islands to determine the characteristics of the urban environment that promote walking among the population. The UWPQ measures pedestrian facilities, infrastructures of the environment, perception of safety and a participant’s general opinion. This process was performed in 12 routes predefined by a community participation program and set around the primary health centers. Degree of correlation between the items was calculated. The final internal consistency was 0.8 in all blocks according to the Cronbach’s alpha test (p < 0.01). Goodman and Kruskal–gamma correlation coefficient (γ) between the item measuring the general opinion and the rest of the items was significant. The items from the perception of safety and pedestrian facilities blocks were the ones that most affected the final assessment. Those regarding the pedestrian-only pavements, clearly marked pavements, noise, traffic density and parks condition obtained the lowest coefficients. To conclude, the results showed that the UWPQ is a suitable instrument to assess the degree of adequacy of the urban environment for walking. It could contribute to create healthy environments as well as to improve public policies.