Psychosocial and Social Environmental Factors as Moderators in the Relation between the Objective Environment and Older Adults’ Active Transport

In order to develop tailored interventions aiming to encourage active transport among older adults, it is important to gain insights into the modifiable moderators affecting active transport behavior considering the neighborhood in which one lives. Therefore, this study aimed to determine which objective physical environmental factors have an impact on the active transport behavior of Belgian older adults (≥65 years old) and which psychosocial and social environmental moderators influence those relationships. Data from 503 independent living older adults who participated the Belgian Environmental Physical Activity Study in Seniors were included. Multilevel negative binominal regression models (participants nested in neighborhoods) with log link function were fitted for the analyses. Our resulted indicated that older adults living in an environment with higher residential density, higher park density, lower public transport density, and more entropy index had higher active transport levels. Furthermore, different types of neighborhood in which older adults live can lead to different moderators that are decisive for increasing older adults’ active transport behavior. Therefore, based on our results some recommendations towards tailored interventions could be given to increase older adults’ active transport behavior depending on the environment in which one lives.

Cognitive resources moderate the adverse impact of poor perceived neighborhood conditions on physical activity

Poor neighborhood conditions are associated with lower levels of physical activity in older age, but socio-ecological models put forth that physical activity is dependent on both environmental and individual factors. Older adults’ abilities to overcome environmental physical activity barriers may partially rely on cognitive resources. However, evidence on the moderating role of these cognitive resources in environmental barrier and physical activity behavior associations is still lacking. We analyzed cross-national and longitudinal data on 28,876 adults aged 50 to 96 years in SHARE survey. Lack of access to local services and neighborhood nuisances were used as indicators of poor neighborhood conditions. Delayed recall, verbal fluency, and time orientation were used as indicators of cognitive resources. Confounder-adjusted linear mixed models were conducted to test associations between neighborhood conditions and self-reported physical activity, as well as the moderating role of the cognitive resources. We found that poor neighborhood conditions, especially low access to local services, were associated with less frequent engagement in physical activity and with a steeper decline of engagement in physical activity across aging. Moreover, cognitive resources robustly reduced the adverse influence of poor neighborhood conditions on physical activity. These findings suggest that cognitive resources can temper the detrimental effect of poor neighborhood conditions on physical activity. Public policies should target both individual and environmental factors to tackle the current pandemic of physical inactivity more comprehensively.

Assessing the physical activity environment in Mexican healthcare settings

Objective. To assess the informational, educational and instrumental environments among Mexican healthcare settings for their potential to promote physical activity (PA).Materials and methods. The Environmental Physical Activity Assessment Tool for Healthcare Settings (EPATHS) was developed to assess the PA environments of 40 clinics/hospitals representing the three Mexican healthcare systems in Guadalajara. The EPATHS assessed the presence and quality of PA enhancing features in the informational (e.g. signage),educational (e.g. pamphlets), and instrumental (e.g. stairs)environments of included clinics/hospitals. Results. 28 (70%) clinics/hospitals had more than one floor with stairs; 60% of these had elevators. Nearly 90% of stairs were visible, accessible and clean compared to fewer than 30% of elevators. Outdoor spaces were observed in just over half (55%) of clinics/hospitals, and most (70%) were of good quality. Only 25% clinics/hospitals had educational PA materials. Conclusions.The PA instrumental environment of Mexican healthcare settings is encouraging. The informational and educational environments could improve.

Perceived Environmental Physical Activity Correlates Among Asian Pacific Islander Americans

Background:Little is known about correlates of physical activity of Asian and Asian-Pacific Islander Americans (AAPI). Knowledge of these correlates could be useful in promoting physical activity. Purpose: to identify demographic and environmental correlates of physical activity among AAPI.Methods:Participants resided in the Las Vegas, Nevada area, and completed a 52-item telephone administered questionnaire that assessed physical activity behavior, environmental supports for physical activity and demographic factors. Environmental factors included the presence of neighborhood sidewalks, park availability, and nearby grocery stores were combined to create the variable “environmental physical activity supports” (EPAS). Neighborhood crime, pleasantness of the neighborhood for walking, and the presence of loose dogs combined to form “neighborhood safety.” Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of physical activity. Potential predictors included age, gender, BMI, employment, educational attainment, neighborhood safety, and EPAS.Results:263 respondents completed the survey. With the exception of living near a grocery store, respondents reported residing in neighborhoods that are generally supportive of physical activity. However, EPAS was the sole significant predictor of physical activity behavior (OR = 1.52, CI = 1.06–2.17). Age and educational attainment unexpectedly failed to predict physical activity.Conclusions:Supportive physical activity environments associate with physical activity behavior among AAPI.