Suchergebnisse

Can a well-designed public performance report affect the public image of hospitals? Using a pre/postdesign and telephone interviews, consumer views and reports of their use of public hospital report are examined. The findings show that the report did influence consumer views about the quality of individual hospitals in the community 2 to 4 months after the release of the report.

This article examines the relationship of the built environment to physical activity in suburban multifamily housing developments in a medium-sized city, testing Alfonzo's (2005) model of decisions regarding active travel. All complexes were within one-quarter mile of a shopping area with a major grocery store, but varied in pedestrian friendliness. Survey data were gathered on travel behavior to the stores, sociodemographic characteristics, preferences for an "active" environment, and perceptions of the extent to which their environment promoted activity. Multilevel analyses showed that residents in more pedestrian-friendly areas had significantly more active travel and less driving travel, indicating a substitution, rather than a supplementation, effect. Results remained when preferences for an "active" environment were controlled and, in most cases, when perceptions of the environment were controlled. It is suggested that Alfonzo's model of decisions regarding walking behavior be amended to include direct influences of urban form on travel behavior.