A multilevel analysis of change in neighborhood walking activity in older adults.
The article reports on a multilevel analysis conducted to examine change in neighborhood walking activity over a 12-month period in a community-based sample of 28 neighborhoods of 303 older adults age 65 and over. The study employed a multilevel (residents nested within neighborhoods) and longitudinal (4 repeated measures over 1 year) design and a multilevel analysis of change and predictors of change in neighborhood walking activity. Results indicated a significant neighborhood effect, with neighborhood-level walking characterized by a downward trajectory over time. Inclusion of baseline variables using selected perceived neighborhood-level social- and physical-environment measures indicated that neighborhoods with safe walking environments and access to physical activity facilities had lower rates of decline in walking activity. The findings provide preliminary evidence of neighborhood-level change and predictors of change in walking activity in older adults. They also suggest the importance of analyzing change in physical activity in older adults from a multilevel or macrolevel framework.
Oregon Research Institute, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
Fuzhong
F
Li
John
J
Fisher
Ross C
RC
Brownson
D000368:Aged; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016138:Walking