Dataset Information

Exploring the Objective and Perceived Environmental Attributes of Older Adults' Neighborhood Walking Routes: A Mixed Methods Analysis.

ABSTRACT: Walking is a central form of physical activity among older adults that is associated with the physical environment at various scales. This mixed-methods study employs a concurrent nested design to explore objective and perceived environmental characteristics of older adults' local walking routes. This was achieved by integrating quantitative Geographic Information System (GIS) data with qualitative data obtained using the Stanford Discovery Tool (DT). Fifty-nine community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults (14 men and 45 women aged 50+) were recruited in a snowball approach through community centers in the city of Haifa (Israel). Four neighborhood environment themes were identified: pedestrian infrastructure, access to destinations, aesthetics, and environmental quality. Both geometrical traits (i.e., distance, slope) and urban features (i.e., land-uses, greenery) of the route may impact the experience of walking. The findings thus highlight the importance of micro-scale environmental elements in shaping environmental perceptions, which may consequently influence the choice of being active.

SUBMITTER: Moran MR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5994340 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Exploring the Objective and Perceived Environmental Attributes of Older Adults' Neighborhood Walking Routes: A Mixed Methods Analysis.

Moran Mika R MR Werner Perla P Doron Israel I HaGani Neta N Benvenisti Yael Y King Abby C AC Winter Sandra J SJ Sheats Jylana L JL Garber Randi R Motro Hadas H Ergon Shlomit S

Journal of aging and physical activity 20161219 3

Walking is a central form of physical activity among older adults that is associated with the physical environment at various scales. This mixed-methods study employs a concurrent nested design to explore objective and perceived environmental characteristics of older adults' local walking routes. This was achieved by integrating quantitative Geographic Information System (GIS) data with qualitative data obtained using the Stanford Discovery Tool (DT). Fifty-nine community-dwelling middle-aged an ...[more]

PMID: 27992252

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Project description:ObjectivesCross-sectional studies have found some built environmental attributes to be associated with residents' lower levels of mobility (functional capacity to walk outside the home). However, less is known about what environmental attributes are related to mobility decline. This longitudinal study examined area-level associations of specific environmental attributes with mid-to-older aged adults' changes in walking mobility.MethodsData collected from 4,088 adults (aged 46-71 years at baseline) who participated in a cohort study in Brisbane, Australia were used. The outcome was the change in self-reported mobility score (SF-36) from 2013 to 2016, which were aggregated at the neighborhood (N = 156) and suburb (N = 99) levels, due to the known lack of sensitivity in SF-36 subscales to individual changes. Linear regression analysis examined associations of mobility change with seven environmental attributes measured at baseline (residential density, intersection density, land use mix, density of walking/bike paths, park density, bus stop density, density of social incivilities), adjusting for confounding variables.ResultsParticipants on average reported 4% of mobility decline during the 3-year study period. It was found that greater land use diversity was consistently associated with less decline in walking mobility, while greater density of social incivilities was associated with more decline in walking mobility. The latter finding was significant only at the neighborhood level. No consistent associations were observed for residential density, intersection density, density of walking/bike paths, park density, and bus stop density.DiscussionOur findings suggest that mid-to-older aged adults who live in areas with lower land use diversity and more social incivilities may be at risk of developing mobility limitations. Recommended policies to slow residents' mobility decline and to achieve aging in place include improving these environmental attributes where needed and advising older adults to relocate to safer, mixed-use neighborhoods.

Project description:BackgroundThe aim of the study is to explore the diversity in recreational walking motives across groups with different sociodemographic characteristics, and to use a dynamic and person-centered approach to geographically assess recreational walking behavior, and preferences for place quality related to recreational walking.MethodsA total of 1838 adult respondents (age 15-90 years), who engage in recreational walking, participated in the map-based survey. We used the online platform Maptionnaire to collect georeferenced information on the respondents' home location, other start locations for walking trips, and point of interest on their trips. Distance between home location and other start locations as well as point of interest were computed using a Geographic Information System (GIS). Additional information on recreational walking behavior and motives were collected using the traditional questionnaire function in Maptionnaire.ResultsThe most prevalent motives for walking were mental well-being and physical health, together with enjoyment and experiences related to walking. Having a tertiary education was positively associated with mental well-being motive, experiences, and taking the dog and the children outside. Income was also positively associated with experiences and walking the dog together with enjoyment of walking and spending time with others. Using the map-based approach, we found that recreational walking often starts at a location away from home and is not limited to the nearest neighborhood. A total of 4598 points of interest were mapped, and the most frequently reported place qualities were greenery, water, wildlife, good views, and tranquility.ConclusionWe used a dynamic and person-centered approach and thereby giving the respondents the opportunity to point to relevant locations for their walking behavior independently of their residential neighborhood. Recreational walking often starts away from home or is not limit to the nearest neighborhod. The median distance from home to the mapped points of interests was between 1.0 and 1.6 km for home-based trips and between 9.4 and 30.6 km for trips with other start locations. The most popular place quality related to the mapped points were greenery, water, wildlife, good views, and tranquility.

Dataset Information

Exploring the Objective and Perceived Environmental Attributes of Older Adults' Neighborhood Walking Routes: A Mixed Methods Analysis.

Publications

Exploring the Objective and Perceived Environmental Attributes of Older Adults' Neighborhood Walking Routes: A Mixed Methods Analysis.

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