Abstract
Aim: Promoting walking activity is an effective way to improve the health of older adults. Walking frequency is a critical component of walking behavior and an essential determinant of daily walking levels. To decipher the association between the built environment and walking frequency among older adults, this study's aims are as follows: (1) to empirically test whether non-linear relationships between the two exist, and (2) to identify the thresholds of the built environment characteristics that promote walking.Methods: The walking frequency of old adults was derived from the Zhongshan Household Travel Survey (ZHTS) in 2012. The sample size of old adults aged 60 or over was 4784 from 274 urban and rural neighborhoods. A semi-parametric generalized additive model (GAMM) is used to analyze the non-linear or non-monotonic relationships between the built environment and the walking frequency among older adults.Results: We found that non-linear relationships exist among five out of the six built environment characteristics. Within certain thresholds, the population density, sidewalk density, bus stop density, land use mixture, and the percentage of green space are positively related to older adults' walking trips. Furthermore, the land use mixture and the percentage of green space show an inverse “V”-shaped relationship.Conclusions: Built environment features can either support or hinder the walking frequency among older adults. The findings in the current study contribute to effective land use and transport policies for promoting active travel among older adults.
Highlights
Physical activity (PA) brings numerous positive health outcomes for older adults by lowering the incidence of chronic diseases, disability, and bone fractures [1]
Employing the semi-parametric generalized additive mixed model (GAMM) described in the section of the modeling approach, we developed a model to investigate significant correlates of utilitarian walking frequency among older adults and illustrate the non-linear effects of relationships with the built environment
It is worth noting that the coefficients of parametric variables in a semi-parametric GAMM represent those in a traditional logit model
Summary
Physical activity (PA) brings numerous positive health outcomes for older adults by lowering the incidence of chronic diseases, disability, and bone fractures [1]. As the most common PA for older adults, walking is low-cost and low-risk, and easy to incorporate into daily life [2, 3]. All else being equal, walking over 120 minutes per week is positively associated with a more negligible risk of allcause mortality [4]. In general, the least physically active group of the population [5]. Encouraging walking among older adults is a crucial intervention to improve the quality of life and healthy aging [6].
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