Built and Natural Environment Barriers and Facilitators to Physical Activity in Rural, Suburban, and Small Urban Neighborhoods

PURPOSE: To explore built and natural environment barriers and facilitators to walking for exercise in cancer survivors. PARTICIPANTS A SETTING: Cancer survivors (N = 7) living in rural, suburban, and small urban neighborhoods in central Virginia. METHODOLOGIC APPROACH: The authors used a qualitative descriptive design with photovoice to explore the cancer survivors' experience with residential walkability. FINDINGS: The following three themes were identified from the data. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Clinicians should consider an evaluation of the built and natural environment to support walking in cancer survivors. These findings may be used in conjunction with known individual-level barriers to physical activity to develop guidance for oncology nurses to help survivors safely achieve physical activity goals.