THURS-061 - Training Students for Population Health: Walkability Audits as an Educational Tool
Thursday, April 23, 2026
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM PST
Location: Plaza Foyer, Plaza Level
Area of Responsibility: Area I: Assessment of Needs and Capacity Keywords: Career Development and Professional Preparation@@@Physical Activity@@@Policies, Subcompetencies: 1.3.6 List the needs of the priority population(s)., 8.1.4 Promote health equity. Research or Practice: Research
Professor Youngstown State University Youngstown, Ohio, United States
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Upon completion, participant will be able to discuss how to integrate walkability audit into course educational requirements to foster community engagement.
Upon completion, participant will be able to describe how walkability audits catalyze policy, systems, and environmental changes in disadvantaged communities.
Upon completion, participant will be able to discover the importance of public health and population health to physical therapy profession.
Brief Abstract Summary: Hear about the background of the Guin Fit initiative supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program. Recognize the importance of walkability audit for safe and accessible community design for physical activity in disadvantaged populations. Learn how to integrate walkability audit in physical therapy education. Discover the importance of public health and population health to physical therapy profession. Gain knowledge on walkability audit for active transportation plan. Recognize the contributions of walkability audit to policy, system, and environmental changes in disadvantaged populations.
Detailed abstract description: Youngstown State University’s Guin Fit initiative (CDC REACH) integrated walkability audits into physical therapy education to strengthen population-health competencies in future workforce and advance equitable active-transportation planning. Faculty from Public Health, Dietetics, Physical Therapy, and Criminal Justice partnered with Safe Routes Partnership for two trainings, then deployed physical therapy (PT) students to conduct walkability audits in Howland Township using the Let’s Go for a Walk tool. Debriefs used Mark Fenton’s “Three Ps” (Programs, Projects, Policies) to translate observations into actionable recommendations. Findings were incorporated into Howland Township’s Active Transportation Plan and the East Market Street Corridor Plan, emphasizing safety and accessibility for disadvantaged populations. This session will share the academic–community model, core audit materials, and curricular alignment with PT roles in public and population health. To our knowledge, it was the first time that walkability audit was integrated in PT education. Participants will learn practical steps to embed walkability audits in coursework and recognize how student-generated evidence can inform policy, systems, and environmental changes that support physical activity and health equity.
