A Nonlinear Association between Neighborhood Walkability and Risks of Sarcopenia in Older Adults

Older adults with functional limitations (FLs) often experience obstacles to walking. Although health promotion programs targeting physical activity are available in lower-income areas, few studies have compared the walking experiences of older adults who have FLs with those who do not in the community. The purpose of this cross-sectional survey was to compare perceptions of neighborhood walkability among older adults living in lower-income communities with and without FLs. Participants (N = 132) were recruited in 2018 at regional health clinics in Flint, Michigan. To be eligible, participants had to be 65 years of age or older, report no cognitive decline, and be Flint residents. Of the 132 participants, the mean age was 69.74 (SD = 4.97). The majority were female (66%); African American (77%); single, divorced, or widowed (72%); educated below the General Education Development level (57%), and had a FL (67%). Older adults with FLs were significantly (p < 0.05) less likely than those without to visit many places within walking distance, to have well-lit neighborhoods at night, and to reside in neighborhoods where sidewalks were separated from the road and traffic. Multiple regression analyses revealed that having a FL was associated with poorer neighborhood perceptions of mixed-land-use (b = −0.19, p < 0.05) and more walking hazards (b = −0.26, p < 0.05). Findings suggest that a FL is associated with perceptions of walkability. It is essential to develop disability-friendly support systems and accommodations to encourage walking in lower-income communities.

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Associations of neighborhood walkability with intensity‐ and bout‐specific physical activity and sedentary behavior of older adults in Japan

Geriatrics and Gerontology International ◽

10.1111/ggi.13730 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (9) ◽

pp. 861-867 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Shiho Amagasa ◽

Shigeru Inoue ◽

Noritoshi Fukushima ◽

Hiroyuki Kikuchi ◽

Tomoki Nakaya ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Sedentary Behavior ◽

Neighborhood Walkability

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Stages of Change in Physical Activity and Neighborhood Walkability Among Older Adults living in the Urban Setting

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.2358 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 621-622

Author(s):

Rie Suzuki ◽

Jennifer Blackwood ◽

Noah Webster ◽

Shailee Shah

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Stages Of Change ◽

Readiness To Change ◽

Urban Setting ◽

Health Clinic ◽

Lower Income ◽

Neighborhood Walkability ◽

Insufficient Physical Activity ◽

The Mean

Abstract Insufficient physical activity (PA) is considered an independent risk factor for chronic diseases. Although older adults living in lower-income areas often experience obstacles to walking locally, few studies have compared their walking experiences and the degree of readiness to change on engaging in PA. The purpose of this study was to compare perceptions of neighborhood walkability by the stages of change among older adults living in a lower-income community. Participants were recruited in 2018 at a regional health clinic in Flint, MI. To be eligible, participants had to be over 65 years old and Flint residents. Of the 132 participants, the mean age was 69.74 (SD=5.00) years old. The majority of respondents were female (66%); African American (77%); single, divorced, or widowed (75%); and educated below a GED level (84%). The results showed that older adults at the pre-contemplation/contemplation stage (PC/C) were less likely to perceive the availability of sidewalks on most streets and more likely to complain about much traffic along the street than those at the action/maintenance stage (A/M) (p<0.05). After controlling for covariates, multiple regression analysis showed that those at PC/C were less likely to state that their neighborhoods were accessible (β = .17*) and to perceive the presence of walking hazard (e.g., lack of sidewalks) (β = -.17*). Those who engaged in PA less than 30 minutes per day perceived the neighborhoods were accessible (β = .23*). Findings suggest that it is essential to develop friendly support systems and accommodations to encourage walking in lower-income communities.

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The association of perceived neighborhood walkability and environmental pollution with frailty among community-dwelling older adults in rural areas

Environmental Epidemiology ◽

10.1097/01.ee9.0000608060.68871.9b ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. 202-203

Author(s):

Kim M ◽

Seo S ◽

Choi Y ◽

Kim B ◽

Seo A ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Environmental Pollution ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Neighborhood Walkability ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

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Translating Urban Walkability Initiatives for Older Adults in Rural and Under-Resourced Communities

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16173041 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (17) ◽

pp. 3041 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alexandra Klann ◽

Linh Vu ◽

Mollie Ewing ◽

Mark Fenton ◽

Rachele Pojednic

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Built Environment ◽

Urban Communities ◽

Community Gardens ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Neighborhood Walkability ◽

Effective Strategies ◽

Resource Limited

The built environment can promote physical activity in older adults by increasing neighborhood walkability. While efforts to increase walkability are common in urban communities, there is limited data related to effective implementation in rural communities. This is problematic, as older adults make up a significant portion of rural inhabitants and exhibit lower levels of physical activity. Translating lessons from urban strategies may be necessary to address this disparity. This review examines best practices from urban initiatives that can be implemented in rural, resource-limited communities. The review of the literature revealed that simple, built environment approaches to increase walkability include microscale and pop-up infrastructure, municipal parks, and community gardens, which can also increase physical activity in neighborhoods for urban older adults. These simple and cost-effective strategies suggest great potential for rural communities.

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Promoting walking in older adults: Perceived neighborhood walkability influences the effectiveness of motivational messages

Journal of Health Psychology ◽

10.1177/1359105315616470 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 22 (7) ◽

pp. 834-843 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nanna Notthoff ◽

Laura L Carstensen

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Motivational Messages ◽

Neighborhood Walkability

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Associations of Neighborhood Walkability with Sedentary Time in Nigerian Older Adults

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16111879 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (11) ◽

pp. 1879 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Adewale L. Oyeyemi ◽

Sanda M. Kolo ◽

Adamu A. Rufai ◽

Adetoyeje Y. Oyeyemi ◽

Babatunji A. Omotara ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Traffic Safety ◽

Sedentary Time ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Neighborhood Walkability ◽

Walkability Index ◽

Environmental Attributes ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

Previous studies have investigated the potential role of neighborhood walkability in reducing sedentary behavior. However, the majority of this research has been conducted in adults and Western developed countries. The purpose of the present study was to examine associations of neighborhood environmental attributes with sedentary time among older adults in Nigeria. Data from 353 randomly-selected community-dwelling older adults (60 years and above) in Maiduguri, Nigeria were analyzed. Perceived attributes of neighborhood environments and self-reported sedentary time were assessed using Nigerian-validated and reliable measures. Outcomes were weekly minutes of total sedentary time, minutes of sitting on a typical weekday, and minutes of sitting on a typical weekend day. In multivariate regression analyses, higher walkability index, proximity to destinations, access to services, traffic safety, and safety from crime were associated with less total sedentary time and sedentary time on both a weekday and a weekend day. Moderation analysis showed that only in men was higher walking infrastructure and safety found to be associated with less sedentary time, and higher street connectivity was associated with more sedentary time. The findings suggest that improving neighborhood walkability may be a mechanism for reducing sedentary time among older adults in Nigeria.

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