Neighborhood Disorder and Physical Activity among Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Gerontology
• Urban Studies

Background:

• Neighborhood physical disorder, characterized by visual deterioration, may deter outdoor physical activity.
• Few studies have investigated this link in older adults, and most prior research used cross-sectional designs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between neighborhood physical disorder and physical activity in older adults.
• To assess if neighborhood disorder predicts physical activity levels and changes in activity over time.

Main Methods:

• A three-wave longitudinal study of 3497 New York City residents aged 65-75.
• Physical activity was measured using the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE).
• Longitudinal mixed linear regression models were used, controlling for individual and neighborhood factors.

Main Results:

• Each standard deviation increase in neighborhood disorder was associated with a 2.0 units lower PASE score at baseline (equivalent to 6 minutes less walking daily).
• Neighborhood physical disorder was not significantly associated with changes in PASE score over 2 years of follow-up.
• Baseline physical activity was lower on average for residents in more disordered neighborhoods.

Conclusions:

• In a diverse urban population of older adults, higher neighborhood physical disorder was associated with lower physical activity at baseline.
• Neighborhood physical disorder did not predict changes in overall physical activity over a 2-year period in this cohort.