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- Rantakokko, Merja, et al.
(author)
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Quality of Life and Barriers in the Urban Outdoor Environment in Old Age
- 2010
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In: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. - : Wiley. - 0002-8614. ; 58:11, s. 2154-2159
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between barriers in the outdoor environment and perceived quality of life (QoL) in old age and to assess whether fear of moving outdoors and unmet physical activity need contribute to this association. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Community and research center. PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred eighty-nine, community-dwelling people aged 75 to 81 took part in face-to-face home-interviews and examinations in the research center. MEASUREMENTS: QoL was assessed using the LEIPAD questionnaire. Environmental barriers were studied based on self-reports of lack of resting places or long distances (distances), noisy traffic or dangerous crossroads (traffic), and hilly terrain or poor street condition (terrain). Fear of moving outdoors and unmet physical activity need were self-reported, and maximal walking speed was measured over 10 m. A path analyses model using LISREL was used for the statistical analyses. RESULTS: QoL was worse among those who reported more barriers in their outdoor environment, experienced fear of moving outdoors or unmet physical activity need, and had slower walking speed and more chronic diseases. In the path model, in which 36% of the variation in QoL was explained, terrain, traffic and distances influenced QoL through fear of moving outdoors or unmet physical activity need, whereas distances had a direct association with QoL. CONCLUSION: An outdoor environment that encumbers outdoor mobility increases perceptions of fear of moving outdoors and unmet physical activity need and is associated with poor QoL in older people. More research is needed to confirm the temporal order and causality of these observations. J Am Geriatr Soc 58:2154-2159, 2010.
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- Rantakokko, Merja, et al.
(author)
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Unmet Physical Activity Need in Old Age
- 2010
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In: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. - : Wiley. - 0002-8614. ; 58:4, s. 707-712
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES To examine which individual and environmental factors correlate with unmet physical activity need in old age and predict development of unmet physical activity need (the feeling that one's level of physical activity is inadequate and thus distinct from the recommended amount of physical activity) over a 2-year follow-up. DESIGN Observational prospective cohort study and cross-sectional analyses. SETTING Community and research center. PARTICIPANTS A total of 643 community-living ambulatory people aged 75 to 81 took part in face-to-face interviews and examinations at baseline and 314 at the 2-year follow-up. MEASUREMENTS Unmet physical activity need and its potential individual and environmental correlates were assessed at baseline. Development of unmet physical activity need was assessed over the 2-year follow-up period. RESULTS At baseline, all participants were able to walk at least 500 m outdoors, but 14% perceived unmet physical activity need. Unmet physical activity need was more prevalent in those with musculoskeletal diseases, depressive symptoms, and mobility limitations. Hills in the nearby environment, lack of resting places, and dangerous crossroads correlated with unmet physical activity need at baseline; the association was especially strong in those with walking difficulties. Significant baseline predictors for incident unmet physical activity need (15%) included fear of moving outdoors, hills in the nearby environment, and noisy traffic. CONCLUSION Unmet physical activity need is common in ambulatory community-living older people who have health and mobility problems and report negative environmental features in their neighborhood. Solutions to overcome barriers to physical activity need to be developed to promote equal opportunities for physical activity participation.
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