Nature as a facilitator for physical activity : Defining relationships between the objective and perceived environment and physical activity among community-dwelling older people

Abstract

The aim was to study the correspondence between the objective and perceived environment and to assess their associations with physical activity (PA) in older people. 848 community-dwelling older people aged 75–90 were interviewed on their difficulties in walking 500 m, perceiving nature as a facilitator for outdoor mobility, and PA. The presence of water and landscape diversity were objectively assessed inside 500 m and 1000 m circular buffers around participants’ homes. Using logistic regression, participant data were analyzed together with the objectively assessed environmental features. Our results indicate that higher habitat diversity within natural areas correlates with higher PA among older people without walking difficulties and the presence of water correlates with higher PA among those with walking difficulties.