Doctors often advise their older patients to walk more to enhance their health, but what if the sidewalks are crumbling; if they don't know a neighbor who could serve as a walking partner to help them feel safe; or if there's nothing interesting to see outside of their homes?
Just how much a neighborhood's environment affects the health and quality of life of older adults will be addressed by a new study conducted by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine, San Diego State University, the University of Cincinnati and the research firm of Lawrence Frank and Co. Inc. of Vancouver, British Columbia.
The researchers are recruiting 500 residents of the Seattle area age 66 or older to determine what factors make for the healthiest neighborhoods, and will do a similar study in Baltimore when the Seattle portion concludes. They hope their findings will help city planners and agencies for the elderly identify elements that help -- and hinder -- the ability to stay independent and healthy as people age.
"So much of our health-promotion activities have focused on the person and the individual characteristics that make it easier to be healthy," said Abby King, PhD, professor of health research and policy and of medicine at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who is the principal investigator for the study. "But you can only go so far talking about personal characteristics; you need to better understand the context in which people live so that you can have more of an impact on their health behaviors."
The study, known as the Neighborhood Quality of Life Study for Seniors, will attempt to determine whether older adults know more of their neighbors in suburban vs. urban neighborhoods, as well as whether a lively or a relaxing neighborhood leads to a better quality of life. It will also examine the effect of a neighborhood's environment on physical activity. For instance: Can the participant walk to local shops or community centers easily? Are the streets safe? Do traffic lights allow enough time to cross streets? Must a participant drive or ride in order to access basic services?
The findings may help to address a vexing behavioral problem: King noted that older adults remain one of the most inactive segments of the U.S. population even though regular exercise can aid in preventing and controlling such diseases as hypertension, heart disease, type-2 diabetes, some forms of cancer and osteoporosis. However, to date there has been no systematic investigation of the relationship between environmental factors and physical activity among older adults, she said.