The article discusses the environmental and policy determinants of physical activity in the United States, emphasizing the importance of these factors in achieving public health goals. Despite the known health benefits of physical activity, a significant portion of the American population remains inactive, particularly those from lower-income backgrounds. The authors conducted a survey among US adults, oversampling lower-income individuals, to examine perceived environmental and policy determinants of physical activity and their associations with physical activity behavior. Key findings include: - Access to facilities and programs, such as walking and bicycle trails, public facilities, and zoning that facilitates activity in neighborhoods, are positively associated with physical activity. - Neighborhood characteristics, such as the presence of sidewalks, enjoyable scenery, heavy traffic, and hills, also influence physical activity. - Social factors, including social support for exercise and the presence of others exercising, are important determinants. - Personal barriers, such as lack of time, tiredness, and motivation, are negatively correlated with physical activity. - There is strong support for health policy measures, such as requiring physical education in schools and providing funding for walking and jogging trails. The study highlights the need for community-specific tailoring of interventions and the development of surveillance systems to capture environmental and policy indicators related to physical activity. It also underscores the importance of ecological models in designing effective interventions.The article discusses the environmental and policy determinants of physical activity in the United States, emphasizing the importance of these factors in achieving public health goals. Despite the known health benefits of physical activity, a significant portion of the American population remains inactive, particularly those from lower-income backgrounds. The authors conducted a survey among US adults, oversampling lower-income individuals, to examine perceived environmental and policy determinants of physical activity and their associations with physical activity behavior. Key findings include: - Access to facilities and programs, such as walking and bicycle trails, public facilities, and zoning that facilitates activity in neighborhoods, are positively associated with physical activity. - Neighborhood characteristics, such as the presence of sidewalks, enjoyable scenery, heavy traffic, and hills, also influence physical activity. - Social factors, including social support for exercise and the presence of others exercising, are important determinants. - Personal barriers, such as lack of time, tiredness, and motivation, are negatively correlated with physical activity. - There is strong support for health policy measures, such as requiring physical education in schools and providing funding for walking and jogging trails. The study highlights the need for community-specific tailoring of interventions and the development of surveillance systems to capture environmental and policy indicators related to physical activity. It also underscores the importance of ecological models in designing effective interventions.