Is “Walkability” A Useful Concept for Gerontology?
- 1 January 2013
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Housing For the Elderly
- Vol. 27 (1-2) , 241-254
Abstract
The study tested two hypotheses: that in a walkable neighborhood, residents will exercise more, eat healthier, and suffer from less obesity and that relation between environment and health outcomes will be stronger for the elderly. Health was measured by physical activity, the number of portions of fruits and vegetables eaten daily, and body mass index. Walkability was measured by three distinct environmental factors—distress, amenities, and residential. The three health outcomes were related to the three environmental factors. Age was not a significant predictor of health outcomes. Although the environment does contribute to health outcomes, the ways that contribution is expressed and its relation to age is complex.Keywords
This publication has 10 references indexed in Scilit:
- Age-friendly Philadelphia: Bringing Diverse Networks Together around Aging IssuesJournal of Housing For the Elderly, 2012
- Neighborhood walkability, physical activity, and walking behavior: The Swedish Neighborhood and Physical Activity (SNAP) studySocial Science & Medicine, 2011
- Physical activity as a mediator of the associations between neighborhood walkability and adiposity in Belgian adultsHealth & Place, 2010
- Mixed land use and walkability: Variations in land use measures and relationships with BMI, overweight, and obesityHealth & Place, 2009
- City structure, obesity, and environmental justice: An integrated analysis of physical and social barriers to walkable streets and park accessSocial Science & Medicine, 2009
- Neighborhood Food Environment and Walkability Predict Obesity in New York CityEnvironmental Health Perspectives, 2009
- Effect of Individual or Neighborhood Disadvantage on the Association Between Neighborhood Walkability and Body Mass IndexAmerican Journal of Public Health, 2009
- Neighborhood Walkability and the Walking Behavior of Australian AdultsAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2007
- Protective Association Between Neighborhood Walkability and Depression in Older MenJournal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2007
- Urban residential environments and senior citizens’ longevity in megacity areas: the importance of walkable green spacesJournal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2002