Constructing community trails is a frequently cited approach to increasing the physical activity levels of Americans; however, little physical activity research on trails has been completed, and not much is known about the contribution of trials to overall physical activity levels. The Harvard team will use accelerometers and Global Positioning System (GPS) units to objectively measure the activity of trail users and link these data to environmental data on trails. The researchers are building on another Active Living Research project they are working on from Round One that is developing and evaluating objective measures of trail characteristics using a social ecological framework. This study has two principle aims: 1) to determine the amount and proportion of moderate and vigorous physical activity conducted on trials among adults; and 2) to examine the relationships between the physical characteristics of trails and the level of use. This study will yield new insight into the contribution of trails to adults’ physical activity.
