title: Using Walk Score™ and Neighborhood Perceptions to Assess Walking Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults.
abstract: We aimed to determine the relationship between neighborhood characteristics (walkability, cohesion/safety) and recommended activity levels among community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults. Subjective and objective data on 394 individuals aged ≥50 years were used to assess the likelihood of walking ≥150 min/week. Environmental factors associated with a greater likelihood of any walking ≥150 min/week included living in a neighborhood with high perception of cohesion/safety versus low, living in walkable areas versus car-dependent, and living in an area with a low-moderate median income versus the lowest. Middle-aged and older adults were more likely to walk ≥150 min/week in a walkable, perceived safe/cohesive neighborhood. Identifying neighborhood factors associated with promoting walking among this population can enable stakeholders (e.g., researchers, planners, and policy makers) to direct interventions focusing on the built environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences, Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Public Health, 1266 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843-1266, USA. towne@sph.tamhsc.edu.
authors.forename: Samuel D
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7310-5837
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Towne
authors.affiliation: Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, Center for Health Systems and Design, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Jaewoong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Won
authors.affiliation: Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, Center for Health Systems and Design, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Sungmin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences, Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Public Health, 1266 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843-1266, USA.
authors.forename: Marcia G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ory
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences, Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Public Health, 1266 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843-1266, USA.|Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, TX, 76508, USA.|Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Samuel N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Forjuoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.|Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Public Health, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Suojin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, Center for Health Systems and Design, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Chanam
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012449:Safety; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016138:Walking
keywords: Neighborhood cohesion; Older adults; Perceived neighborhood safety; Walkability