The impact of COVID-19 on walking practices in Korea: Policy implications for Urban health and physical activity resilience

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected urban adults' walking habits. Factors such as pedestrian paths, sports facilities, and reduced social relationship challenges helped maintain walking practices. These results highlight the need for multilevel interventions that target environmental, social, and individual determinants to promote and sustain walking during and after public health emergencies. In Korea and other high-density Asian cities, these findings provide policy-relevant evidence to guide walkability-oriented urban planning and health promotion strategies that strengthen physical activity resilience in future public health crises.