Perceived neighborhood environment and its association with self-rated health and physical activity behavior in an Austrian city

Introduction: Neighborhood characteristics have been shown to be associated with health and health-promoting behavior. The aim of our study was to identify perceptions of the residential environment and their association with physical activity for specific purposes and with self-rated general health. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of inhabitants of Graz (a mid-sized Austrian city) aged 15–60 years was conducted in 2005. Self-reported data were obtained by means of computer-assisted telephone interviews. Participants (n=997) completed structured interviews including Likert-type scaled questions on neighborhood…