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Abstract
SummaryThis study aimed to assess the moderating influence of neighborhood walkability on the association between physical activity (PA) and mental health among older African academics aged 50 years or more in cities with social distancing protocols in response to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A total of 905 volunteer academics participated in the study. A hierarchical linear regression analysis was employed to conduct sensitivity analyses and test the study hypotheses. After controlling for sex, education and age, there was a positive association between PA and mental health. Neighborhood walkability moderated the relationship between PA and mental health, which suggests that during the pandemic PA was associated with higher mental health scores in more walkable neighborhoods. The study concludes that PA was beneficial to mental health in the social distancing context and was associated with higher mental health in more walkable neighborhoods, particularly in a social distancing context.
Highlights
IntroductionResearch has shown that physical activity (PA) reduces the risk of non-communicable diseases (Steindorf et al, 2012; Guure et al, 2017), including cardiovascular conditions (e.g. stroke, diabetes, hypertension) and neurodegenerative disorders (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease) (Guure et al, 2017; Asiamah et al, 2020)
Research has shown that physical activity (PA) reduces the risk of non-communicable diseases (Steindorf et al, 2012; Guure et al, 2017), including cardiovascular conditions and neurodegenerative disorders (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease) (Guure et al, 2017; Asiamah et al, 2020)
We focused on universities in three African countries (Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria) that gave us access to a list of faculty members who were observing social distancing measures while working between August and October 2020
Summary
Research has shown that physical activity (PA) reduces the risk of non-communicable diseases (Steindorf et al, 2012; Guure et al, 2017), including cardiovascular conditions (e.g. stroke, diabetes, hypertension) and neurodegenerative disorders (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease) (Guure et al, 2017; Asiamah et al, 2020). The promotion of PA as a health-seeking behavior is a typical example of these programs that plays a positive role toward the realization of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for health (Dai and Menhas, 2020). With this goal, stakeholders such as the World Health Organization expect to reduce by one-third premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases through prevention and the promotion of mental health. The Asset Model asserts that good health is maintained by utilizing protective factors or ‘health assets’ (e.g. walkable neighborhoods, social ties) in health-seeking behaviors (e.g. PA, exercise). This idea stems from the salutogenic view that good health can be maintained by making use of contextual resources (e.g. neighborhood services) to overcome stressors (e.g. poverty, aging) in the way of health-seeking behaviors such as PA
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