Walking out of doors: the plight of the elderly

Little attention has been given in gerontological literature to the walking ability of the elderly, yet this is important to the maintenance of both physical and social health. This study combines land use data and data derived from interviews with old people to establish how far they walk, and also presents tentative conclusions on their ability to deal with gradients. In addition it describes how various facets of the neighbourhood environment which highlight the physical limitations of old people militate against outdoor walking.