Abstract
Background: Neighborhood environment is an aspect that influences physical activity, mainly walking. Hence, built environment research may help to use environmental and policy strategies to increase physical activity. Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between perceived neighborhood environment and meeting the recommendation of at least 30 minutes of walking 5 or more days a week within active transportation and leisure-time domains in Central European older adults. Methods: Four hundred and fifty six healthy ambulatory older adults filled out the modified and culturally adapted version of the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (ANEWS) for obtaining perceived environment information and the self-administrative long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) for assessing physical activity levels. Results: Respondents living in high residential density neighborhoods (OR 1.87), living in flats (OR 2.09) and in location with ≤100,000 inhabitants (OR 1.63) were more likely to meet recommendation within walking for transportation. Owning a dog was associated with meeting recommendation within walking for leisure (OR 1.69). Conclusions: This study supported the specific impact of environment on meeting PA recommendations within transportation and leisure time walking in older adults. Out of all perceived neighborhood environmental attributes received from ANEWS questionnaire, only high residential density was positively associated with meeting recommendation within total walking and walking for transport.
Highlights
The benefits of walking and its accessibility to all populations, including older adults, are well documented and walking has the potential to have a large public health impact (Lee & Buchner, 2008)
Adult study including eleven countries from Asia, Europe and North America suggested that people living in a neighborhood with the most supportive environments were twice as likely to meet physical activity guidelines as those without any supportive features (Sallis et al, 2009)
This study aimed to examine the associations between Body mass index (BMI), socio-demographical and other individual environmental factors and walking
Summary
The benefits of walking and its accessibility to all populations, including older adults, are well documented and walking has the potential to have a large public health impact (Lee & Buchner, 2008). Adult study including eleven countries from Asia, Europe and North America suggested that people living in a neighborhood with the most supportive environments were twice as likely to meet physical activity guidelines as those without any supportive features (Sallis et al, 2009). Because built environment research may help to use environmental and policy strategies to increase physical activity (Sallis, 2011). In Central European conditions, there was only one adults study concerning neighborhood environment and physical activity (Frömel, Mitáš, & Kerr, 2008). This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between perceived neighborhood environment and meeting recommendation of at least 30 minutes of walking 5 or more days a week in Central European older adults. Built environment research may help to use environmental and policy strategies to increase physical activity
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