Exploring the Objective and Perceived Environmental Attributes of Older Adults' Neighborhood Walking Routes: A Mixed Methods Analysis

Walking is a central form of physical activity among older adults that is associated with the physical environment at various scales. This mixed-methods study employs a concurrent nested design to explore objective and perceived environmental characteristics of older adults' local walking route...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of aging and physical activity 2017-07, Vol.25 (3), p.420-431
Main Authors: Doron, Israel, O], [A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aesthetics
Aged
Architectural Accessibility - methods
Architectural Accessibility - standards
Built environment
Community centers
Destinations
Discovery
Environment Design - standards
Environmental aspects
Exercise - physiology
Exercise - psychology
Female
Humans
Independent Living - psychology
Infrastructure
Male
Middle age
Middle Aged
Mixed methods research
Neighborhoods
Older people
Physical activity
Residence Characteristics
Social Perception
Statistics as Topic
Walking
Walking - physiology
Walking - psychology
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Summary:Walking is a central form of physical activity among older adults that is associated with the physical environment at various scales. This mixed-methods study employs a concurrent nested design to explore objective and perceived environmental characteristics of older adults' local walking routes. This was achieved by integrating quantitative Geographic Information System (GIS) data with qualitative data obtained using the Stanford Discovery Tool (DT). Fifty-nine community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults (14 men and 45 women aged 50+) were recruited in a snowball approach through community centers in the city of Haifa (Israel). Four neighborhood environment themes were identified: pedestrian infrastructure, access to destinations, aesthetics, and environmental quality. Both geometrical traits (i.e., distance, slope) and urban features (i.e., land-uses, greenery) of the route may impact the experience of walking. The findings thus highlight the importance of micro-scale environmental elements in shaping environmental perceptions, which may consequently influence the choice of being active.
ISSN:1063-8652
1543-267X
DOI:10.1123/japa.2016-0165