The association between perceived environmental barriers and walking activity among older adults

Abstract

With increasing age, people become less physically active, partly due to increased vulnerability to environmental demands. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between perceived barriers in the outdoor environment and walking activity among older adults. These analyses form part of the Screening and Counseling for Physical Activity and Mobility project (SCAMOB). The study design was cross-sectional. The participants were 75-81-year-old, able to walk independently outdoors, not highly physically active and were living in the center of Jyväskylä (N=632, 159 men, 473 women). Walking activity and environmental barriers were assessed with self-reports. An indicator of environmental press was created by calculating the number of barriers. Data were analyzed with chi-square and t-tests and logistic regression analysis. Majority reported having no barriers, women reporting more barriers than men. Among men (OR 3.04, 95% CI 1.09-8.48) not walking outdoors at all was more common among those who reported two or more environmental barriers. Adjustment for self-rated health attenuated the association. In women, a parallel but non-significant association was found. Perceived environmental barriers correlate with limited walking activity among urban community-living ambulatory older adults. Future studies should investigate underlying reasons for gender difference.