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Walking around the neighborhood is good for older adults health, but the way older adults perceive their surroundings can affect this behavior. This topic has been discussed for some time in high-income countries. There, it is observed that older adults who live in neighborhoods with high residential density, diverse land use, good road connectivity, access to public transport, pleasant aesthetics, security against crime and traffic, presence of recreational facilities, infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, green spaces and visible parts of the sky are more likely to walk, whether for utilitarian or recreational purposes. On the other hand, in Latin American countries such as Brazil, where there is a significant increase in the older adults population and challenges related to urbanization and social inequalities, the relationship between the characteristics perceived of neighborhoods by the older adults and walking behavior is still unknown.
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Target audience
Local and intersectoral initiatives, with active involvement of the community, public health researchers and decision-makers in the development of action plans (urban planners and public policy makers). Communities participating in conferences, health councils.
The problem
What types of neighbourhoods are perceived by Brazilian older adults and how does this relate to walkability? Is the perception of the neighbourhood influenced by sociodemographic characteristics of the older adults? How does the type of neighbourhood influence the practice of walking for transport and leisure among the older adults?
What we did and why
Between 2017 and 2019, we interviewed 1,265 older adults (age ≥60 years; 60.7% women; mean age 73.4 years) from the EpiFloripa Aging Study in Florianópolis, Brazil. We assessed walking for transport and leisure using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and perceptions of neighbourhood characteristics (mixed land use, infrastructure, aesthetics, traffic-related safety, and crime) using the Abbreviated Neighborhood Environmental Walkability Scale (A-News). A latent class analysis was used to derive neighbourhood types.
Our study’s contribution
The combination of perceived neighbourhood environmental attributes allowed for the identification of five types that varied in their support for walking. In neighbourhoods less supportive of walking, less privileged groups were predominant, but the feeling of safety encouraged leisure walking. Conversely, in neighbourhoods with a greater number of positive attributes, in addition to bringing together socially younger individuals with higher socioeconomic status, they also increased the chances of walking for transport.
Impacts for city policy and practice
The types of neighbourhoods we found are not formed randomly, so decision-makers must be careful to adopt measures capable of not only transforming local infrastructure, but also promoting healthy lifestyles, especially among the most vulnerable groups.
To mitigate inequalities in certain urban areas and facilitate daily walking among older people, the construction of accessible, structured and predictable urban environments appears promising. Therefore, local and intersectoral initiatives, such as carrying out case studies in the areas most in need and the active involvement of the community, public health researchers and decision-makers in the development of action plans (urban planners and public policy makers), can be beneficial. Furthermore, greater community participation in conferences and health councils can be a valuable resource to promote dialogue between civil society and policymakers to respond to the real needs of the population.
Further information
Full research article:
Typologies of perceived neighborhood environmental attributes and walking in older adults in Brazil: a latent class analysis by Carla Elane Silva dos Santos, Gabrielli Thais de Mello, Inácio Crochemore Silva, Eleonora d’Orsi & Cassiano Ricardo Rech
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