The Associations Between Area Deprivation and Objectively Measured Older Adults’ Outdoor Walking Levels

Martin van Maarseveen,Johannes Flacke,Javier Martinez,Razieh Zandieh

doi:10.1177/2158244017740172

Abstract

Outdoor walking has positive impacts on older adults’ health. It is crucial to identify less active older adults and to encourage them to take outdoor walks. Previous studies have shown that physical activity levels vary according to socioeconomic deprivation. However, knowledge on objectively measured older adults’ outdoor walking levels is limited. This study investigated associations between area (socioeconomic) deprivation and older adults’ objectively (geographic positioning system [GPS]) measured outdoor walking levels (i.e., walking durations and frequencies) in Birmingham, United Kingdom. It used a multilevel approach. The final sample included 173 participants (65 years and above). A questionnaire was used to collect data on personal characteristics (e.g., educational attainment as a proxy of individual deprivation, age, and marital status). The results show that independent of personal characteristics, area deprivation associates with outdoor walking durations. Participants from high-deprivation areas spend less time for outdoor walking than those from low-deprivation areas. Associations between area deprivation and outdoor walking frequencies were nonsignificant. Future research needs to investigate how attributes (e.g., environmental attributes) of low- and high-deprivation areas drive disparities in outdoor walking durations among older residents of low- and high-deprivation areas.

Highlights

Physical activity has positive impacts on health (Department of Health, 2011)
SAGE Open shown that high socioeconomic deprivation increases risks of chronic disease associated with low level of outdoor walking
Evidence indicates that two levels of socioeconomic deprivation may associate with physical activity levels (Gidlow et al, 2006; McNeill, Kreuter, & Subramanian, 2006): (a) individual deprivation, that refers to an individual’s disadvantage in terms of material welfare and the ability to participate in social life (Communities and Local Government, 2010)—common proxies of individual deprivation are educational attainment, income, and occupational status (McNeill et al, 2006); and (b) area deprivation, that refers to relative disadvantage of urban areas in which people live

Summary

Introduction

Physical activity has positive impacts on health (Department of Health, 2011). It is especially important for older adults, who are at risks of chronic disease (Department of Health, 2011) and isolation (Age, 2010). SAGE Open shown that high socioeconomic deprivation increases risks of chronic disease associated with low level of outdoor walking (e.g., cognitive function, Lang et al, 2008; diabetes II, Espelt et al, 2011; and stroke, Cox, McKevitt, Rudd, & Wolfe, 2006). These findings raise a hypothesis that older adults’ outdoor walking levels vary according to socioeconomic deprivation. This study addresses this hypothesis by focusing on associations between area (socioeconomic) deprivation and older adults’ objectively measured outdoor walking levels. These findings indicate that physical activity promotion interventions targeting highly deprived individuals are needed

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Discussion

Conclusion