Abstract
The built environment is an important factor affecting physical activity, especially walkability. Walkability is used to characterize the user friendliness of outdoor physical activity. However, studies on walkability and physical activity are mainly concentrated on low-density Western cities. Study on the walkability of high-density cities in Asia, especially with the elderly, is seriously lacking. And walkability is often used as a composite indicator. This study mainly re-examines the relationship between the common indicators of walkability (population density, street connectivity, land-use mix, and retail density), transport-related walking, and leisure-time walking with older adults in China's megacities. Twelve housing estates in Wuhan were selected for study areas. We explored the association between the walking activities of 1,161 elderly people (≥60 years old) and the indicators of walkability in their neighborhoods. Socio-demographic characteristics were controlled in the multilevel logistic regression models of the built environment walking associations. We found that there was no significant correlation between the four indicators of walkability and transport-related walking. Street connectivity is significantly positively correlated with the participants' leisure-time walking (OR = 1.499, 95% CI = 1.068~2.103), and there was no significant correlation between the other indicator of walkability and leisure-time walking. The results show that there was no statistical correlation between walkability and transport-related walking in the elderly, and only one indicator was related to leisure-time walking. It is extremely important to re-examine the characteristics of built environments and elderly walking activities in high-density cities. Only by implementing effective intervention strategies in different urban backgrounds can cities move toward a more active and healthier path.
Highlights
At present, the acceleration of population aging has become a common phenomenon in megacities around the world
38% of the participants performed at least 150 min of transport-related walking in a week; ∼67% of the participants performed at least 150 min of leisure-time walking in a week
The four indicators of walkability were not significantly correlated with the likelihood of engaging in at least 150 min of transportrelated walking in Models 1 & 2
Summary
The acceleration of population aging has become a common phenomenon in megacities around the world. Empirical studies have shown that regular and adequate levels of physical activity can provide mental and physical health benefits and can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases [4, 5]. Despite such obvious benefits of physical activity, a WHO global health survey found that the percentage of the population that meets the recommended amount of exercise is decreasing with age [6]. According to the 2010 Chronic Disease Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, nearly 84% of older people do not engage in regular physical activities. From the perspective of public health, it is essential to explore the relevant factors that promote the physical activity of the elderly and propose effective intervention strategies
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