title: Interactions between Neighborhood Social Environment and Walkability to Explain Belgian Older Adults' Physical Activity and Sedentary Time.
abstract: This study examined associations between neighborhood social factors and physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in older adults. Furthermore, possible moderating effects of neighborhood walkability were explored. Data from 431 community-dwelling Belgian older adults (≥65 years) were analyzed. Neighborhood social factors included measures of neighboring, social trust and cohesion and social diversity. Neighborhood walkability was measured objectively. Outcome measures were self-reported weekly minutes of domain-specific walking and TV viewing, and accelerometer-assessed weekly minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and overall SB. A higher frequency of talking to neighbors was associated with higher levels of self-reported walking for transport and for recreation. Moderation analyses showed that only in highly-walkable neighborhoods, higher social diversity of the neighborhood environment was associated with more transport walking; and talking to neighbors and social interactions among neighbors were negatively associated with overall SB and television viewing, respectively. Findings suggest that a combination of a favorable neighborhood social and physical environment are important to promote older adults' PA and limit SB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, Ghent B-9000, Belgium. veerle.vanholle@ugent.be.|Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Egmontstraat 5, Brussels B-1000, Belgium. veerle.vanholle@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Veerle
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Van Holle
authors.affiliation: Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Egmontstraat 5, Brussels B-1000, Belgium. jelle.vancauwenberg@ugent.be.|Department of Public Health, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 4K3, Ghent B-9000, Belgium. jelle.vancauwenberg@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Jelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Cauwenberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, Ghent B-9000, Belgium. ilse.debourdeaudhuij@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Bourdeaudhuij
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 4K3, Ghent B-9000, Belgium. benedicte.deforche@ugent.be.|Department of Human Biometry and Biomechanics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels B-1050, Belgium. benedicte.deforche@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Benedicte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Deforche
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 (S8), Ghent B-9000, Belgium. nico.vandeweghe@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Nico
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Van de Weghe
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, Ghent B-9000, Belgium. delfien.vandyck@ugent.be.|Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Egmontstraat 5, Brussels B-1000, Belgium. delfien.vandyck@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Delfien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Van Dyck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001530:Belgium; D004779:Environment Design; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011998:Recreation / Q000523:psychology*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D057566:Self Report; D012931:Social Environment; D016138:Walking / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: aging in place; elderly; sitting; socio-ecological models; walking