Snakes, streetlights and swimming pools - do they influence healthy lifestyles in rural areas?

In November 2016 Menzies researchers invited adults from rural areas across three Australian States to speak up about whether the design of their local area helps to get them moving.

“We wanted to know how the design of our local areas encourages or prevents us from being active, and whether people in rural areas have access to a sufficient range of safe, well-maintained places to be active,” said Dr Verity Cleland, a physical activity researcher who led the study.

The research team included researchers from the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Deakin University in Victoria and the University of South Australia.

In total 447 people completed, the survey and a summary of the findings is available here (PDF 2220 KB).

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