Public space as a place of rehabilitation for the elderly - a systematic literature review

Abstract

The phenomenon of the population's gradual global ageing means that an increasing proportion of research is concerned with the space in which seniors function on a daily basis. They are primarily aimed at identifying elements of the built environment that need updating in the new social context. The purpose of the analyses presented in this article is to review the current scientific literature on various aspects of physical activity of people outdoors in an urbanized environment. The scope review was based on the resources of 3 scientific databases (Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed). The analyses concerned articles published in the last decade (2013-2023). The collected material was subjected to the PRISMA procedure (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analytics), and 29 articles were extracted for analysis. The conducted research indicated thematic scopes that are undertaken in contemporary research on physical activities of a rehabilitation nature undertaken in public space by older people (>65 years of age). The research topics described in the articles analysed dealt with elements defining the characteristics of public space that mobilise older people to be active, identified barriers preventing its use and factors popularising it. The studies analysed also identified the characteristics of public spaces according to the type of activity used by seniors for rehabilitation. The result of the review is the separation of the thematic scope of research on the activation of the elderly in the open air towards rehabilitation. The information provided may be useful for architects, urban planners and people managing urban spaces to determine design solutions that meet the needs of older people. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2024;75(3):255-267.