Public transit stop density is associated with walking for exercise among a national sample of older adults

Walking is the primary and preferred mode of exercise for older adults. Walking to and from public transit stops may support older adults in achieving exercise goals. This study examined whether density of neighborhood public transit stops was associated with walking for exercise among older adults.

2018 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) data were linked with the 2018 National Neighborhood Data Archive, which reported density of public transit stops (stops/mile²) within participants' neighborhood, defined using census tract boundaries. Walking for exercise in the last month was self-reported. The extent to which self-reported public transit use mediated the relationship between density of neighborhood public transit stops and walking for exercise was examined. Covariates included sociodemographic characteristics, economic status, disability status, and neighborhood attributes. National estimates were calculated using NHATS analytic survey weights.

Among 4,836 respondents with complete data, 39.7% lived in a census tract with at least one neighborhood public transit stop and 8.5% were public transit users. The odds of walking for exercise were 32% higher (OR = 1.32; 95% confidence interval: 1.08, 1.61) among respondents living in a neighborhood with > 10 transit stops per mile compared to living in a neighborhood without any public transit stops documented. Self-reported public transit use mediated 24% of the association between density of neighborhood public transit stops and walking for exercise.

Density of neighborhood public transit stops was associated with walking for exercise, with a substantial portion of the association mediated by self-reported public transit use. Increasing public transit stop availability within neighborhoods may contribute to active aging among older adults.