Abstract
Background: We examined the relationships between objectively assessed neighborhood environment and the patterns of sedentary behavior among older adults.Methods: A total of 126 community-dwelling older adults (aged 65 years or above) were recruited. Data on neighborhood environmental attributes (resident density, street intersection density, sidewalk availability, accessible destinations, and accessible public transportation), accelerometer-assessed total time and patterns of sedentary behavior (number and duration of bouts), and sociodemographic characteristics were collected. Multiple linear regression models were developed.Results: After adjustment for potential confounders, greater sidewalk availability was negatively related to the number of sedentary bouts (β = −0.185; 95% CI: −0.362, 0.015; p = 0.034) and sedentary bout duration (β = −0.180; 95% CI: −0.354, −0.011; p = 0.037).Conclusions: This study revealed that a favorable neighborhood environment characterized by sidewalk availability is negatively associated with sedentary behavior patterns in Taiwanese older adults. These findings are critical to inform environmental policy initiatives to prevent sedentary lifestyle in older adults.
Highlights
As is the case with many countries around the world, the population of older adults is increasing rapidly in Taiwan
To enhance the evidence base used for advising policy and urban design initiatives, this study aims to prove the relationships between neighborhood environment and the patterns of objectively assessed sedentary behavior among older persons
This study is the first to examine the relationships between objectively assessed neighborhood environmental attributes and the patterns of objectively assessed sedentary behaviors among urban community-residing older adults in Taiwan
Summary
As is the case with many countries around the world, the population of older adults is increasing rapidly in Taiwan. In 2018, older adults accounted for 14.05% of the total population, and Taiwan will become a super-aged society by 2026 [1]. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a key determinant of older adults’ health [2, 3]. It is well-documented that older adults should engage in sufficient levels of physical activity in order to obtain substantial health benefits [4]. In addition to physical activity, emerging evidence has shown that prolonged sedentary time is related to negative health impacts in older populations, such as higher risks of metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, reduced bone density, and all-cause mortality [5, 6]. We examined the relationships between objectively assessed neighborhood environment and the patterns of sedentary behavior among older adults
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