Abstract
Mobility restrictions in older adults are common and increase the likelihood of negative health outcomes and premature mortality. The effect of built environment on mobility in older populations, among whom environmental effects may be strongest, is the focus of a growing body of the literature. We reviewed recent research (1990–2010) that examined associations of objective measures of the built environment with mobility and disability in adults aged 60 years or older. Seventeen empirical articles were identified. The existing literature suggests that mobility is associated with higher street connectivity leading to shorter pedestrian distances, street and traffic conditions such as safety measures, and proximity to destinations such as retail establishments, parks, and green spaces. Existing research is limited by differences in exposure and outcome assessments and use of cross-sectional study designs. This research could lead to policy interventions that allow older adults to live more healthy and active lives in their communities.
Highlights
Mobility limitations are defined by impairment or dependence in movement and affect between one third and one half of adults aged 65 or older [1]
Lack of physical activity in older individuals can lead to loss of muscle mass, loss of bone density, and an increase in fat mass [2, 3]
Walking has been measured as for exercise [35], for utilitarian purposes [30, 36], by frequency of neighborhood walking on a Likert scale [32,33,34], by whether individuals met physical activity recommendations for walking (>150 hours/week) [27, 29, 37], and by other measures of walking frequency [3, 28, 31]
Summary
Mobility limitations are defined by impairment or dependence in movement and affect between one third and one half of adults aged 65 or older [1]. Mobility limitations can affect an individual’s health through a number of pathways. Isolation and loss of social ties resulting from reduced mobility can lead to depression and other adverse mental health outcomes [4]. A lack of access to resources such as fresh foods and medical care which can result from limited mobility can have negative impacts on health [5]. Individuals with mobility limitations are at higher risk of health service utilization [6,7,8] and institutionalization [6, 9, 10]. Further frailty and disability and an increased risk of premature mortality can result from restricted mobility [1, 11]
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