Exploring the influence of walking on quality of life among older adults: Case study in Hohhot, China

Abstract

IntroductionWith the rapid development of population aging in China, older adults' quality of life has attracted increasing concerns. Due to the importance of walking in completing social activities, the influence of walking on older adults' quality of life has become a hot topic. This study investigates what walking behavior contributes to improving older adults’ quality of life and how walking experience influences their quality of life. MethodIn order to collect data, a questionnaire survey was conducted in Hohhot, China. In view of the distribution characteristic of dependent variables, three Ordinal models with different link functions are used. Based on estimated results, aggregate probabilities are obtained to investigate the influences of walking frequency, walking duration and walking experience on older adults’ quality of life. ResultsIt is found that Ordinal Logit model is higher goodness of fit. The results show that working status, monthly income, walking behavior and walking experience have significant impacts on older adults' quality of life. Increasing the frequency of walking can improve the quality of life among older adults. But this improvement will weaken when the frequency of walking is over 3 times per week. Improving walking duration can promote older adults’ quality of life. But this effect will weaken when walking duration exceeds 15 min. In addition, the improvement in walking experience could substantially promote the quality of life for older adults. ConclusionsOlder adults, who complete at least 15 min of walking or conduct walking more than 3 times per week, are more likely to have higher satisfaction with their quality of life. Promoting walking experience is critical for improving older adults' quality of life. All the results provide important references for both older adults to determine their daily traveling and for policymakers to promote older adults’ quality of life effectively.