Elderly Travelers Research Articles

Research On the Design of Public Transit Services for The Elderly in China

As China enters an aging society, the elderly in China are increasingly becoming an important user group of public transportation. This study uses service design thinking to optimize the inclusiveness of Chinese elderly people's travel by bus and subway, and explores the feasibility of applying service design thinking to the field of public transportation. This paper adopts the observation method, with Guangzhou and Beijing as the research areas. The researchers conduct service design research based on the entire process of elderly travel, summarize the travel needs and pain points of elderly passengers, optimize the station guidance system, intelligent interface and service platform, make the public transportation service environment more friendly, and thus make the public transportation service environment more inclusive. Analyze the passenger flow, contact points, and stakeholders of the station, draw character portraits and journey maps, and output service design strategies to improve the travel experience of Chinese elderly passengers. In summary, this study aims to improve the convenience of Chinese elderly passengers taking public transportation and provide theoretical support for the transformation and optimization of China's public transportation services.

Behavioral differences between young adults and elderly travelers concerning the crowding effect on public transit after the COVID-19 pandemic

After the COVID-19 pandemic, passengers' concerns about crowding on public transit vehicles has increased due to their fear of being infected. Since WHO has announced that the elderly are the most vulnerable to COVID-19, it is important to understand the impact of crowding on the elderly and provide policy implications on public transit vehicles. The aim of this study is to analyze the behavioral differences between young adults and the elderly concerning the crowded conditions on public transit with a stated preference survey in Seoul metropolitan area. Crowding multipliers are estimated to quantify the impedance on crowding based on the mixed logit model. The results indicate that the elderly are more sensitive to crowding on public transit vehicles than younger people, and subway passengers are affected more by crowding than passengers who are using other modes of transit. In addition, it is confirmed that the preference of the elderly for public transit varies according to gender, income, and the purpose of travel. These analysis results can provide implications for setting new policy directions to improve the public hygiene and comfort of elderly people when they use public transit in the post-COVID-19 world.

Study on the Relationship between Elderly Tourism Motivation and Active Aging: A Case Study of Elderly Population in First-tier Cities of China

This paper explores active aging by examining elderly tourism through the lenses of existential theory, the broaden-and-build theory, and the circular theory. It investigates the travel motivations of the elderly in tourism scenarios, integrating factors such as positive thinking, positive behavior, and a positive organizational environment into the research. A path model was constructed to analyze how active aging influences travel motivations in a tourism context, supported by empirical analysis using 337 valid samples. The study found that key dimensions of active aging influencing elderly travel motivations include positive behavior, positive thinking, and a positive organizational environment. The path model and research data show good compatibility and explanatory power regarding the impact of active aging on travel motivations. Positive thinking, positive behavior, and a positive organizational environment all positively affect the travel motivations of the elderly. In the path analysis, positive thinking as an independent variable does not directly influence travel motivations; instead, positive behavior and a positive organizational environment serve as important mediating variables.

Exploring the travel behavioral differences for the elderly mobility on public transit

ABSTRACT Developing an integrated transportation system has required strategies to improve mobility in public transportation networks. This study aims to construct a route choice model incorporating heterogeneous travel behaviors and suggest policy improvements considering travel behavioral characteristics for the elderly in transportation planning. A stated preference survey has been established to explore the travel behaviors on public transit. The behavioral differences of elderly travelers are compared with young adult travelers by the parameters of travel time attributes. Travel time multipliers are developed to compare the time impedance for the travels on public transit using the concept of willingness to pay. Travelers are reluctant to increase the transfer time for all types, resulting in multipliers ranging from 1.91 to 2.11. The results provide the implications of transport policy for the elderly considering a convenient transfer on the integrated transit system in an aging society.

Stimulating the growth of “silver” tourism through the development of relationships and the creation of targeted communications with travellers

In the contemporary world, the population of older individuals is on the rise, bringing about a transformation in the profile of “silver” tourists. These individuals lead active lifestyles, with many still engaged in work, possessing a relatively high level of savings, and demonstrating a willingness to allocate those funds towards travel. The “silver” age tourism segment is experiencing annual growth, underscoring the importance of meticulously studying the requirements, preferences, and limitations of this demographic. Elderly travellers express a keen interest in fostering relationships with travel companies, emphasizing the need to pay attention to this expanding segment by crafting travel products tailored to their needs and leveraging pertinent communication channels. This article elucidates the distinctive features of “silver” age tourism, delving into the needs of these travellers and their preferred communication channels for relationship-building. The study encompasses a market overview spanning European countries, the USA, Asia, and Russia. The conducted survey and cluster analysis revealed the heterogeneity within the “silver” age tourist group, necessitating a meticulous approach in the formulation of marketing strategies by travel companies.

Chinese Rural Elderly Tourism Motivation Regulation, Trigger and Feedback in the Context to Acquaintance Society

ABSTRACT Chinese society is a local “Acquaintance Society.” This paper takes the rural elderly aged above 60 years old in China as the research object, collects data through in-depth interviews, and adopts the Grounded Theory method, finally the structural dimension and internal mechanism model of rural elderly’s travel motivation were constructed. The results show that: Rural elderly tourism motivated by Local perception motivation, Conventional motivation, “Poor family rich road” consumption motivation, Leisure motivation for travel enjoyment, Emotional motivation of reference groups, Healthy longevity motivation, Conspicuous feedback motivation, Experience motivation after participation, which are composed of eight dimensions. Based on research, the article constructs the mechanism model of rural elderly travel motivation, eight dimensions follow the path: Before Travel Rural Statute →During Travel Experiential Trigger →After Travel Conspicuous Reward, the whole process of elderly participation in tourism activities is analyzed through the action path of Social Influence Theory (SIT). This paper not only gives suggestions for tourism enterprises and Chinese government departments to promote the development of elderly tourism market, but also provides references for the fairness and common prosperity of rural areas under the “Acquaintance Society.”

The nonlinear relationship between the active travel behavior of older adults and built environments: A comparison between an inner-city area and a suburban area

The nonlinear relationship between the built environment and active travel among older adults within the inner-city context has been widely researched. However, limited attempts have been made to explore the demographic and spatial heterogeneity of the built environment's effects in dense urban or peripheral urban contexts. With the outward urban expansion brought about by rapid suburban growth in Chinese cities, there have been dynamic built environment, service, and socioeconomic composition changes in the suburbs. Using data from Xiamen, China, this study employs a BO-LightGBM method to fill this gap among different cohorts of the aging population (different personal statuses and family relationships) within two contexts, and the SHAP method is adopted to interpret the models with distinctive spatial patterns of built environment differentiation. Our results show that differentiation in the threshold values and gradients exists between built environment associations and the elderly's active travel in Inner Xiamen and Outer Xiamen. The contribution of built environment variables to impact older adult's active travel is related to the regional context as well as demographic characteristics. These results offer nuanced and contextualized built environment interventions for building age-friendly cities.

Tourist experience and well-being of Chinese elderly tourists through intergenerational interaction with their adult children

Studies on senior travel have focused on older adults' travel motivations, experiences, and well-being separately; less attention has been paid to how intergenerational interactions define these tourists' experiences and well-being. This study explored how intergenerational interactions with adult children shape the elderly's travel experience and well-being. In-depth interviews with elderly tourists revealed that their interactions with adult children occur when they travel together and not, and, in the pre-travel, and in-transit travel, and post-travel. Results further showed that adult children's acknowledgement (disconfirmation) of elderly tourists' experience plays an important role in the supportive (conflicting) interactions and subsequently enhanced (jeopardized) the elderly's well-being. Thus, a close investigation of the impact of intergenerational interaction on the travel experience and well-being of seniors enables tourism industry to make appropriate changes to its strategies and tourism products to enhance intergenerational interaction, thereby contributing to the growth of the silver-haired tourism market and destination performance.

노인관광객의 국외여행 경험가치가 관광지 이미지와 고객만족 및 충성도에 미치는 영향

Purpose In this study, we tried to empirically verify the effect of the experience value of overseas travel of elderly tourists on the image of tourist destinations and customer satisfaction and loyalty.
 Methods The survey for the empirical study was conducted at a restaurant for the last meal before moving to the airport after traveling to elderly tourists aged 60 or older who visited Thailand on a package tour after COVID-19.
 Results As a result of the factor analysis, the experience value of the elderly tourists' overseas travel was classified into social value, emotional value, economic value, service value, aesthetic value, and functional value, and the image of the tourist destination and customer satisfaction and loyalty were each classified as a single dimension. As a result of hypothesis testing, it was verified that functional value, economic value, and service value among the components of experiential value had a significant effect on the image of the tourist destination, but emotional value, social value, and aesthetic value had no significant effect. In addition, social value and service value were analyzed to have a significant effect on customer satisfaction, but emotional value, functional value, economic value, and aesthetic value were analyzed to have no significant effect. Finally, it was verified that the tourist destination image and customer satisfaction had a significant effect on loyalty.
 Conclusion In the end, it was studied that the overseas travel experience value of elderly tourists positively changes the image of tourist destinations, increases customer satisfaction, and increases tourists' revisit, positive word of mouth, and recommendation intention.

QFD/TRIZ Based Mechanical Structure Design of Elderly Walker

To ensure the safety of the elderly and to provide a convenient and comfortable travel experience, elderly walkers are widely used. The Quality Function Deployment (QFD)/Teoriya Resheniya Izobretatelskikh Zadatch (TRIZ) integrated model is constructed and the specific implementation process is given by starting from the mechanical structure of the product. Firstly, the design requirements of the existing structure of the product are obtained from the elderly users by interview, and the requirements are classified into three categories: walking state, stationary state, and handling state from the state of the elderly travel. Then, on the basis of the requirements, a characteristic House of Quality (HOQ) for walkers suitable for the elderly was constructed, and the relationship matrix inside the HOQ was further analyzed to integrate and eliminate the characteristics of different products. Finally, the negative correlation characteristic problem in the autocorrelation matrix of the quality roof is extracted, and after transforming it into TRIZ problem, the product characteristic conflict in the design stage is eliminated by using TRIZ theory. Through the combination of the two methods, the objective requirement acquisition and the scientific design positioning in the design research stage are ensured. This study verifies the feasibility of the integrated model applied to elderly walkers through specific design practices.

15-min pedestrian distance life circle and sustainable community governance in Chinese metropolitan cities: A diagnosis

Urban planning has shifted from “land-oriented” to “human-oriented” and metropolitan cities start to focus on 15-min life circle community planning during recent years. As multiple dimensions of living service facilities are included, proactive supervision and real-time evaluation are essential in the governance and spatial planning of large cities, referring to urban physical examination. This study proposes a community life circle diagnosis system based on multisource urban big data to evaluate the community public service facilities, in which the performance of urban living service, in terms of fairness, accessibility, and diversity were assessed, and the services related to the health and emergency facilities apart from the daily living service were investigated. Four representative Chinese megacities Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Wuhan, were selected for the implementation and empirical analyses of the diagnosis system, which were further compared regarding the existing community life circle facility service. Then, situations in Shanghai in 2011, 2016, and 2021 were longitudinally compared to verify the influencing factors toward community life circle facilities. The results indicated that Shanghai has the highest quality of service of 15-min community life circle among the four Chinese cities, followed by Shenzhen, Wuhan, and Beijing, according to the average coverage rate of citywide living service facilities. However, the municipal government in Shanghai still needs to improve the investment in public resources in the suburbs, focusing on facilities related to elderly care, life security, and community travel. Findings of this study may assist metropolitan development with policy and funding priorities, by using urban big data together with traditional empirical data (e.g. social-economic data, built environment, etc.) to diagnose sustainable community development problems.

European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis and European Academy of Neurology consensus on vaccination in people with multiple sclerosis: Improving immunization strategies in the era of highly active immunotherapeutic drugs.

With the new highly active drugs available for people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS), vaccination becomes an essential part of the risk management strategy. We aimed to develop a European evidence-based consensus for the vaccination strategy of pwMS who are candidates for disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). This work was conducted by a multidisciplinary working group using formal consensus methodology. Clinical questions (defined as population, interventions and outcomes) considered all authorized DMTs and vaccines. A systematic literature search was conducted and quality of evidence was defined according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Levels of Evidence. The recommendations were formulated based on the quality of evidence and the risk-benefit balance. Seven questions, encompassing vaccine safety, vaccine effectiveness, global vaccination strategy and vaccination in subpopulations (pediatric, pregnant women, elderly and international travelers) were considered. A narrative description of the evidence considering published studies, guidelines and position statements is presented. A total of 53 recommendations were agreed by the working group after three rounds of consensus. This first European consensus on vaccination in pwMS proposes the best vaccination strategy according to current evidence and expert knowledge, with the goal of homogenizing the immunization practices in pwMS.

Nowhere to go – Effects on elderly's travel during Covid-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented numerous, significant challenges for elderly in their daily life. In order to reach a deeper understanding of the feelings and thoughts of the elderly related to their possibilities to travel and engage in activities during the pandemic, this study takes a qualitative approach to exploring the views of the elderly themselves. The study focuses on experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of in-depth semi-structured interviews with elderly aged 70 and above, were conducted in June 2020. Applied Thematic Analysis (ATA) was applied, as a first stage, to investigate meaningful segments of data. In a second stage these identified segments were combined into a number of themes. This study reports the outcome of the ATA analysis. More specifically we report experiences, motivations and barriers for travel and activity participation, and discuss how these relate to the health and well-being of elderly, and vice versa. These findings highlight the strong need to develop a transport system that to a higher extent addresses the physical as well as the mental health of old people, with a particular focus on facilitating social interactions.

Exploring key informants' perceptions of Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy in a disadvantaged urban community in Ireland: Emergence of a '4Cs' model.

The aim of this study was to explore key informants' views on and experiences with Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy in a Dublin community with a high concentration of economic and social disadvantage and to identify feasible, community-centred solutions for improving vaccination acceptance and uptake. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were carried out at a local community-centre and a central hair salon. Twelve key informants from the target community were selected based on their professional experience with vulnerable population groups: the unemployed, adults in recovery from addiction, the elderly, and Irish Travellers. Inductive thematic framework analysis was conducted to identify emergent themes and sub-themes. Drivers of vaccine hesitancy identified by key informants largely fell under the WHO '3Cs' model of hesitancy: lack of confidence in the vaccine and its providers, complacency towards the health risks of Covid-19, and inconvenient access conditions. Covid-19 Communications emerged as a fourth 'C' whereby unclear and negative messages, confusing public health measures, and unmet expectations of the vaccine's effectiveness exacerbated anti-authority sentiments and vaccine scepticism during the pandemic. Community-specific solutions involve the provision of accurate and accessible information, collaborating with community-based organizations to build trust in the vaccine through relationship building and ongoing dialogue, and ensuring acceptable access conditions. The proposed Confidence, Complacency, Convenience, Covid-19 Communications ('4Cs') model provides a tool for considering vaccine hesitancy in disadvantaged urban communities reacting to the rapid development and distribution of a novel vaccine. The model and in-depth key informants' perspectives can be used to compliment equitable vaccination efforts currently underway by public health agencies and non-governmental organizations.

Modeling Senior Travelers’ Acceptance of New Transit Systems

This article examines the findings of an investigation of senior travelers’ willingness to use several advanced transit systems. Elderly travelers were surveyed to evaluate their acceptance of a real-time paratransit and several transit information systems. The likelihood of using each system was estimated using the binary probit modelingmethodology. The analysis showed that gender, income, age, type of trips recently made, and several perception-related variables are among the factors that affect the decision to accept the new transportation systems. The study also showed the important potential of several transportation technologies to increase the mobility and alleviate the transportation difficulties of the elderly population. In addition, the results illustrated the willingness of many groups of senior travelers to use new transportation systems in an attempt to reduce their travel problems.

Exploration and Prediction of the Elderly Travel Behavior Based on a Novel GR-GA-BP Hybrid Model

With the aging trend in megacities, the travel behaviors of the elderly have attracted much attention. Accurate prediction of the travel behaviors of the elderly is a key link to meet the traffic demand and public facilities’ optimization. The aim of this paper was to explore the link between the travel characteristics and variables of the daily activities of the elderly. Based on a stratified sampling survey, the internal relationship between the characteristics of the elderly and their travel behavior was studied and discussed in this work. A novel grey correlation degree–genetic algorithm–back propagation (GR-GA-BP) hybrid model was proposed to predict the travel behavior of the elderly. Then, a grey correlation degree module was established and used to analyze the correlation between the individual elderly characteristics and their travel behavior. The results showed the following: (1) Both the times of weekly trips (y1) and average round-trip travel time (y2) were highly sensitive to the external environment, especially buses, subway stations, and recreational facilities. The size of the family was less sensitive to the travel behavior. (2) Referring to prediction of the times of weekly trips, the MRE of the proposed model was 23.12%, which was 15.22% less than the baseline models. (3) In terms of the prediction of round-trip travel time, the MRE of the proposed model was 7.13%, which was 14.00–69.41% lower than the baseline models. (4) The times of trips per week were 3.5. In summary, this paper provides technical support for formulating traffic demand policies and facilitates the configuration of cities for an aging society.

Perceptions and desires of Chinese senior outbound tourists receiving travel support from adult children: a qualitative study

PurposeThis qualitative study explores how Chinese senior outbound tourists perceive support from their adult children and what kinds of support they desire.Design/methodology/approachQualitative data were collected from semi-structured interviews with 26 participants. Transcribed interviews were analysed via thematic analysis.FindingsThis study captured the contradictory feelings of different types of Chinese senior outbound tourists (i.e. independent, neutral, and dependent) according to the degree of desire for support from their adult children. The results further identified the real desires among Chinese senior outbound tourists for children's attitudinal support, caring support, appropriate financial support, companionship, and timing support.Research limitations/implicationsSince this qualitative research is based on small samples with typical social and cultural characteristics, our research results only describe an existence. Our findings provide insight into the existence of the phenomenon, rather than allowing the results to be generalized to the wider population (Gram et al., 2019).Practical implicationsThe tourism industry could develop products to alleviate such feelings. Integrating the concept of filial piety into adult children's support for their parents' overseas travel can not only meet parents' expectations but also relieve parents' ambivalence. Destination operators and travel agencies could thus design mixed products targeting Chinese elderly parents and their adult children by providing activities for both generations. Purchasing behaviour represents a type of emotional and instrumental support for the elderly. Destination operators and travel agencies can also launch products suitable for in-depth outbound travel that cater to adult children's leisure travel while meeting the elderly's travel needs.Originality/valueThis study also extends both intergenerational support theory and intergenerational ambivalence theory regarding Chinese senior outbound tourists.

A Comparative Study of Passenger Multitasking Activities on Commuting and Leisure Electrified Intercity Railways

The electrification of intercity railways plays a significant role in energy conservation and emission reduction. Research on passenger travel activities to optimize vehicle services can help to understand how best to improve passenger attraction and the use of intercity railways. In this study, we conducted observational research on two electrified intercity railways that were segregated by the attributes, leisure, and commute. The purpose was to determine the influence of line attribute, passenger gender, age, and seat availability on the types of activities performed onboard, with specific attention placed on the use of information and communication technology (ICT). Using structured observations, the travel multitasking activity data of 467 passengers were collected on two intercity railways in real-life situations. Using the chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis, it was found that line attribute, gender, age, and seat availability have an impact on passenger activities. Differences in factors affecting passenger activities were also found according to the nature of their travel, whether for commute or leisure. Our results suggest that passengers on the leisure line prefer to engage in some social activities. For example, the probability of conversation among passengers on the leisure line was 3.47 times that of the commuting line, and the middle-aged and elderly travelers on this line were more likely to be in a daze and look around. The probability of taking a break for passengers on the commuting line was 3.625 times that of the leisure line, and passengers who were not seated on this line were found to be more likely to be idle. In addition, male travelers and young travelers preferred to engage in ICT immersive activities, such as using mobile phones, while women, middle-aged, and elderly travelers were more likely to engage in non-ICT immersive activities. Seated passengers were more likely to engage in simultaneous multitasking activities, rest, and conversations than passengers without seats.

A scoping review of the daily mobilities of older adults in the Global South

This review examines the current state of the literature on the daily mobility patterns of older adults in the Global South to discover what is known and uncover dominant themes. We used a scoping review approach to search literature in geography and other allied disciplines that primarily focus on elderly daily travel behaviours and related studies. We included 57 papers to review and identified three dominant themes across them: trip mode choice, unmet mobility needs, and socio‐economic aspects of mobility. Results show that the elderly in the Global South, in contrast to their peers in the Global North, walk and use public transportation more frequently than personal vehicles. Some common unmet mobility needs of the elderly in the Global South include safety concerns, gender inequalities, and unequal access to public transportation. Socio‐economic aspects that influence elderly mobilities include employment status, living arrangements, caregiving relationships, and social networks. We conclude that there is a need for more mobility studies that promote the participation of older adults in the Global South and that use longitudinal, qualitative, and/or mixed method approaches. Lastly, transportation policies should address specific elderly needs and avoid “one‐size fits all” approaches.

A Data-Driven Framework for Analyzing Spatial Distribution of the Elderly Cardholders by Using Smart Card Data

In this era of population aging, it is essential to understand the spatial distribution patterns of the elderly. Based on the smart card data of the elderly, this study aims to detect the home location and examine the spatial distribution patterns of the elderly cardholders in Beijing. A framework is proposed that includes three methods. First, a rule-based approach is proposed to identify the home location of the elderly cardholders based on individual travel pattern. The result has strong correlation with the real elderly population. Second, the clustering method is adopted to group bus stops based on the elderly travel flow. The center points of clusters are utilized to construct a Voronoi diagram. Third, a quasi-gravity model is proposed to reveal the elderly mobility between regions, using the public facilities index. The model measures the elderly travel number between regions, according to public facilities index on the basis of the total number of point of interest (POI) data. Beijing is used as an example to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed methods, and the methods can be widely used for urban planning, design and management regarding the aging population.