Socioeconomic status, neighborhood characteristics, and walking within the neighborhood among older Hong Kong Chinese.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the associations of educational attainment and area socioeconomic status (SES) with total within-neighborhood walking patterns and percentage of walking undertaken for recreation purposes in Hong Kong elders. Environmental mediators of these associations were also examined.


METHODS
Chinese-speaking elders (N = 484), cognitively unimpaired and able to walk unassisted, were recruited from 32 street blocks stratified by SES and walkability. Interviewer-administered surveys were conducted to collect data on walking and sociodemographics. Neighborhood environments were audited.


RESULTS
Educational attainment was positively related to walking outcomes, while area SES was only positively related to percentage of walking allocated to recreational purposes. While no mediators of area SES-walking associations were identified, several environmental attributes explained the associations of educational attainment with walking.


CONCLUSIONS
Educational attainment rather than area SES is a key determinant of walking in Hong Kong elders; these effects are mostly attributable to social and individual rather than environmental factors.
The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China.
Ester
E
Cerin
Robin
R
Mellecker
Duncan J
DJ
Macfarlane
Anthony
A
Barnett
Man-chin
MC
Cheung
Cindy H P
CH
Sit
Wai-man
WM
Chan
D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D004779:Environment Design / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011998:Recreation; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012923:Social Class; D016138:Walking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
built environment; elders; mediators; socioeconomic status; walking