What walking means to moms: Insights from a national sample to frame walking in compelling ways to low-income urban mothers

This study identified salient beliefs, barriers, and life concerns that should be addressed when framing and branding walking to low-income urban mothers. Communications emphasizing dose-based recommendations (e.g., time, intensity) are irrelevant to mothers’ lives and also appear to be confusing as well as ineffective motivators. While some participants desired experiential benefits from walking, such as time with family, others sought instrumental benefits, such as losing weight. Regardless of the benefits desired, however, there was a general consensus that walking was a low daily priority. Thus, for messages to successfully promote walking, they need to imbue walking with a compelling meaning that makes walking relevant to mothers in ways that can help them achieve their daily needs and wants. In addition, future communications should address the potentially negative meanings and stress low-income mothers experience when walking is a compulsory form of transportation. These data offer insights into preliminary suggestions for framing walking to boost its daily relevance, desirability, and usefulness to low-income urban mothers.
Source: Journal of Transport and Health - Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research