title: Change in walking for transport: a longitudinal study of the influence of neighbourhood disadvantage and individual-level socioeconomic position in mid-aged adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Unlike leisure time physical activity, knowledge of the socioeconomic determinants of active transport is limited, research on this topic has produced mixed and inconsistent findings, and it remains unknown if peoples' engagement in active transport declines as they age. This longitudinal study examined relationships between neighbourhood disadvantage, individual-level socioeconomic position and walking for transport (WfT) during mid- and early old-age (40 - 70 years). Three questions were addressed: (i) which socioeconomic groups walk for transport, (ii) does the amount of walking change over time as people age, and (iii) is the change socioeconomically patterned?
  
  
  METHODS
  The data come from the HABITAT study of physical activity, a bi-annual multilevel longitudinal survey of 11,036 residents of 200 neighbourhoods in Brisbane, Australia. At each wave (2007, 2009 and 2011) respondents estimated the duration (minutes) of WfT in the previous 7 days. Neighbourhood disadvantage was measured using a census-derived index comprising 17 different socioeconomic components, and individual-level socioeconomic position was measured using education, occupation, and household income. The data were analysed using multilevel mixed-effects logistic and linear regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The odds of being defined as a 'never walker' were significantly lower for residents of disadvantaged neighbourhoods, but significantly higher for the less educated, blue collar employees, and members of lower income households. WfT declined significantly over time as people aged and the declines were more precipitous for older persons. Average minutes of WfT declined for all neighbourhoods and most socioeconomic groups; however, the declines were steeper for the retired and members of low income households.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Designing age-friendly neighbourhoods might slow or delay age-related declines in WfT and should be a priority. Steeper declines in WfT among residents of low income households may reflect their poorer health status and the impact of adverse socioeconomic exposures over the life course. Each of these declines represents a significant challenge to public health advocates, urban designers, and planners in their attempts to keep people active and healthy in their later years of life.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. g.turrell@qut.edu.au.
authors.forename: Gavin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Turrell
authors.affiliation: Institute for Social Science Research and School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia. b.hewitt@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Belinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hewitt
authors.affiliation: Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia. m.haynes@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. andrea.nathan@qut.edu.au.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nathan
authors.affiliation: McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. b.giles-corti@unimelb.edu.au.
authors.forename: Billie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Giles-Corti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001315:Australia; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014186:Transportation / Q000379:methods*; D035862:Vulnerable Populations; D016138:Walking