Promoting Active Urban Aging: A Measurement Approach to Neighborhood Walkability for Older Adults

Rachael L. Weiss · Juliana Astrud Maantay · Marianne C. Fahs

58 citations0/0 files storedCities and the Environment

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Urban Transport and Accessibility Physical Activity and Health Urban Green Space and Health

Abstract

Understanding the role of the built environment on physical activity behavior among older adults is an important public health goal, but evaluating these relationships remains complicated due to the difficulty of measuring specific attributes of the environment. As a result, there is conflicting evidence regarding the association between perceived and objectively measured walkability and physical activity among urban-dwelling older adults. This suggests that both actual environmental features and perceptions of these attributes influence walking behavior. The purpose of this pilot project is to create an Objective Walkability Index (OWI) by census block using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and supplement the results with resident perceptions thus more accurately characterizing the context of walkability. Computerized Neighborhood Environment Tracking (ComNET) was used to systematically assess environmental risks impacting activity patterns of older adults in two New York City neighborhoods. In addition, the Senior Center Evaluation of the Neighborhood Environment (SCENE) survey was administered to older adults attending two senior centers located within the target neighborhoods. The results indicate that there is substantial variation in OWI score both between and within the neighborhoods suggesting that residence in some communities may increase the risk of inactivity among older adults. Also, low walkability census blocks were clustered within each neighborhood providing an opportunity for targeted investigation into localized threats to walkability. A lack of consensus regarding the association between the built environment and physical activity among older adults is a consequence of the problems inherent in measuring these determinants. Further empirical evidence evaluating the complex relationships between the built environment and physical activity is an essential step towards creating active communities.

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References

2002Place effects on health: how can we conceptualise, operationalise and measure them?2003Neighborhood-Based Differences in Physical Activity: An Environment Scale Evaluation 2002How the built environment affects physical activity 2009Measuring the Built Environment for Physical Activity 2009The development of a walkability index: application to the Neighborhood Quality of Life Study 2005Perceived and objective environmental measures and physical activity among urban adults 2006Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale 2007Assessing the Measurement Properties of Neighborhood Scales: From Psychometrics to Ecometrics

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