title: Understanding the role of contrasting urban contexts in healthy aging: an international cohort study using wearable sensor devices (the CURHA study protocol).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Given the challenges of aging populations, calls have been issued for more sustainable urban re-development and implementation of local solutions to address global environmental and healthy aging issues. However, few studies have considered older adults' daily mobility to better understand how local built and social environments may contribute to healthy aging. Meanwhile, wearable sensors and interactive map-based applications offer novel means for gathering information on people's mobility, levels of physical activity, or social network structure. Combining such data with classical questionnaires on well-being, physical activity, perceived environments and qualitative assessment of experience of places opens new opportunities to assess the complex interplay between individuals and environments. In line with current gaps and novel analytical capabilities, this research proposes an international research agenda to collect and analyse detailed data on daily mobility, social networks and health outcomes among older adults using interactive web-based questionnaires and wearable sensors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study resorts to a battery of innovative data collection methods including use of a novel multisensor device for collection of location and physical activity, interactive map-based questionnaires on regular destinations and social networks, and qualitative assessment of experience of places. This rich data will allow advanced quantitative and qualitative analyses in the aim to disentangle the complex people-environment interactions linking urban local contexts to healthy aging, with a focus on active living, social networks and participation, and well-being.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This project will generate evidence about what characteristics of urban environments relate to active mobility, social participation, and well-being, three important dimensions of healthy aging. It also sets the basis for an international research agenda on built environment and healthy aging based on a shared and comprehensive data collection protocol.
authors.affiliation: Montreal University Research Center (CRCHUM), 850, rue St-Denis, Montréal, QC, H2X 0A9, Canada. yan.kestens@umontreal.ca.|École de Santé Publique de l'Université de Montréal (ESPUM), 7101, rue du Parc, Montréal, QC, H3N 1X9, Canada. yan.kestens@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kestens
authors.affiliation: Inserm, UMR-S 1136, Pierre Louis Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculté de médecine Saint-Antoine, 27 rue Chaligny, cedex 12, Paris, 75571, France.
authors.forename: Basile
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chaix
authors.affiliation: Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research, 11, Porte des Sciences, Esch-sur-Alzette, L-4366, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gerber
authors.affiliation: École d'urbanisme et d'architecture de paysage, Université de Montréal, 2940, chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, QC, H3C 3 J7, Canada.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Desprès
authors.affiliation: Montreal University Research Center (CRCHUM), 850, rue St-Denis, Montréal, QC, H2X 0A9, Canada.|École de Santé Publique de l'Université de Montréal (ESPUM), 7101, rue du Parc, Montréal, QC, H3N 1X9, Canada.
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gauvin
authors.affiliation: Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research, 11, Porte des Sciences, Esch-sur-Alzette, L-4366, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.affiliation: Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research, 11, Porte des Sciences, Esch-sur-Alzette, L-4366, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.affiliation: Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research, 11, Porte des Sciences, Esch-sur-Alzette, L-4366, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Köppen
authors.affiliation: École d'urbanisme et d'architecture de paysage, Université de Montréal, 2940, chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, QC, H3C 3 J7, Canada.
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lord
authors.affiliation: Montreal University Research Center (CRCHUM), 850, rue St-Denis, Montréal, QC, H2X 0A9, Canada.|École de Santé Publique de l'Université de Montréal (ESPUM), 7101, rue du Parc, Montréal, QC, H3N 1X9, Canada.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naud
authors.affiliation: Canada Research Center on Aging, CIUSSS de l'Estrie-CHUS, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Payette
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, H3C 3 J7, Canada.
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.affiliation: Montreal University Research Center (CRCHUM), 850, rue St-Denis, Montréal, QC, H2X 0A9, Canada.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rondier
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shareck
authors.affiliation: UMR Géographie-Cités, 13 rue du Four, Paris, 75006, France.
authors.forename: Cédric
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sueur
authors.affiliation: Montreal University Research Center (CRCHUM), 850, rue St-Denis, Montréal, QC, H2X 0A9, Canada.
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thierry
authors.affiliation: Département d'Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie; Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, 23, rue Becquerel, Strasbourg, 67087, France.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vallée
authors.affiliation: Montreal University Research Center (CRCHUM), 850, rue St-Denis, Montréal, QC, H2X 0A9, Canada.|École de Santé Publique de l'Université de Montréal (ESPUM), 7101, rue du Parc, Montréal, QC, H3N 1X9, Canada.
authors.forename: Rania
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wasfi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D032882:Comprehension; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D040362:Geographic Information Systems / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D008297:Male; D012931:Social Environment; D058992:Social Participation / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: Daily mobility; GIS; Healthy aging; Mixed methods; Physical activity; Social networks; Social participation; Spatial epidemiology; Wearable sensors