Threshold effect of unmet walking needs on quality of life for seniors

Abstract

Walking is positively related to seniors’ Quality of Life (QoL). However, existing studies neglected the role of unmet walking needs. To address this gap, this study evaluates if and to what extent unmet walking needs affect different aspects of QoL. Ordered logistic models were applied to analyze survey data of 533 seniors from China, results suggest that unmet walking needs have overall negative correlations with all four dimensions of QoL including overall QoL, Physical Health (PhyH), Psychological Health (PsyH), and Social Health (SH). Results also support the assumption that tolerance thresholds exist when detecting correlations between unmet walking frequencies and different aspects of QoL. PsyH has the smallest tolerance threshold, followed by overall QoL and PhyH, and SH has the largest tolerance threshold. These findings provide evidence for policymakers to establish effective strategies on how to reduce unmet walking frequencies and minimize its negative effects on QoL of seniors.