Associations Between Perceived Neighbourhood Built Environment and the Maintenance of Regular Walking: A Role of Gender and Socioeconomic Status in a Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Endorsing the maintenance of regular walking as a form of physical activity is a fundamental component of population-level health promotion strategies. Among various influencing factors, the neighbourhood-built environment has been recognised as a key determinant of individuals' walking behaviour. However, evidence on the role of gender and socioeconomic status—both in the prevalence of walking maintenance and in its association with perceived neighbourhood environmental attributes—remains limited and may vary depending on contextual factors, such as metropolitan settings. Aim: To examine the prevalence of walking maintenance among Seoul citizens and explore the association between perceived neighbourhood environmental attributes and walking maintenance, stratified by gender and socioeconomic status. Design: A cross-sectional study design. Methods: Data were collected from 2000 Seoul residents aged 18–69 years. Walking maintenance was defined as walking ≥ 30 min per day, ≥ 5 days per week, for at least 6 months. Neighbourhood environmental attributes were measured using the Physical Activity Neighbourhood Environment Scale. Analyses were stratified by gender and socioeconomic status. Results: Women and individuals with lower socioeconomic status were less likely to maintain regular walking compared to their counterparts. Individuals with lower socioeconomic status—but not women—perceived their neighbourhood environmental attributes—particularly aesthetics, recreational facilities, safety and pedestrian/bicycling infrastructure—as less conducive to maintaining regular walking. Conclusion: Targeted improvements to neighbourhood environments may promote sustained walking, particularly among vulnerable populations, including women and individuals with lower socioeconomic status. These findings support nurse-led, environment-focused strategies to enhance long-term physical activity. Implications for the Profession: Community health nurses should lead efforts to identify populations at risk of discontinuing regular walking and promote walking maintenance through environmental approaches and collaboration with urban planning initiatives that improve neighbourhood conditions. Such efforts may support sustained walking and contribute to reducing health disparities. Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution.