Site and neighborhood environments for walking among older adults.
Walking has significant health and mobility benefits for older adults. Previous environment-walking studies have focused on neighborhood environments, overlooking proximate site-level characteristics. This study examines both the neighborhood and site-level environments. A survey was conducted with 114 older adults from five assisted-living facilities in Houston, TX. A subset of 61 participants' environments was examined using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Multivariate analyses identified positive correlates of walking at the site level including yard landscaping and corner-lots, and neighborhood-level correlates including walking destinations, safety from crime, and sidewalks. Both site-level and neighborhood environmental supports appear important in promoting walking among older adults.
Wang
Zhe
Z
Texas A&M University, College of Architecture, College Station, TX 77840, USA. zwangpublication@gmail.com
Lee
Chanam
C
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013781:Texas; D016138:Walking