Daily Walking and Mortality in Racially and Socioeconomically Diverse U.S. Adults

Abstract

Introduction: While the health benefits of daily walking are well-established, limited research has investigated effects of factors such as walking pace on mortality, particularly in low-income and Black/African-American populations. Methods: Data from the Southern Community Cohort Study were used, including information from nearly 85,000 predominantly low-income and Black individuals recruited during 2002–2009 across 12 southeastern U.S. states. Participants provided baseline information on daily walking pace and time, demographic information, lifestyle factors, and health status. Mortality data were collected until December 31, 2022. Analysis was conducted from September 2023 to June 2024. Results: Over a median follow-up of 16.7 (2.0–20.8) years, 26,862 deaths occurred. Significant associations were found between all-cause mortality and daily fast walking time. Fast walking as little as 15 minutes a day was associated a nearly 20% reduction in total mortality (hazard ratios=0.81; 95% CI=0.75, 0.87), while only a 4% reduction in mortality (hazard ratios=0.96; 95% CI=0.91, 1.00) was found in association with more than 3 hours of daily slow walking. Fast walking was independently associated with reduced mortality, regardless of the leisure-time physical activity levels. The inverse association was more pronounced for mortality due to cardiovascular diseases than cancers. Participants with baseline comorbidities had larger risk reductions compared to their generally healthy counterparts, although all individuals benefited from fast walking. Conclusions: Regular walking, particularly fast walking, was associated with reduced mortality. These findings underscore the importance of promoting fast walking as a feasible and effective strategy to improve health outcomes and address health disparities among low socioeconomic populations.