Indoor Built Environment and Older Adults’ Activity: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Although the physical environment can influence people’s activity, there are few knowledge syntheses for indoor environments and older adults’ daily life routines. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed evidence to inform future research and practice. Inclusion criteria were studies with any research designs, across all years and languages focused on older adults 60 years of age or more, on physical activity/sedentary behaviour and the indoor environment. After searching five databases, two authors completed title/abstract and full-text screening. The last search was on December 19, 2020. We screened 1,367 citations, and included 23 studies situated in private or collective dwellings (e.g., assisted living). We identified physical activity-supportive indoor features across three domains: campus (e.g., amenities, pathways), building (e.g., area, floor level), and fixtures (e.g., elevators, hallways). Knowledge of indoor environmental factors for older adults’ engagement in daily activities can guide future research and policy on housing design.

An Umbrella Review of the Best and Most Up-to-Date Evidence on the Built Environment and Physical Activity in Older Adults ≥60 Years

“…There were 96 reviews assessed for full-text eligibility, and a further 93 documents were excluded for reasons including unspecified age categories, non-systematic reviews, incorrect population, and non-BE interventions and exposures. Several systematic reviews in particular were excluded because they did not report a summary/synthesis of findings across studies for older adults [45][46][47], did not report a summary of the quantitative findings specifically [23], or did not meet the criteria of a systematic review [48,49]. Ultimately, three reviews met the inclusion criteria [42,50,51].…”

“…As many older adults have a fear of falls from being active outdoors, especially in winter climates, having safe and accessible spaces to be active indoors such as in the hallways of apartments and malls are particularly important [23,24]. A recent review of 26 qualitative and quantitative studies [23] reported BE factors at three levels being associated with PA in older adults, including campus (e.g., aesthetics, recreation amenities), building (e.g., ground-level housing, private dwellings), and fixtures (e.g., indoor hallways, ramps, accessible stairwells). Thus, more high-quality research is needed on the potential role of indoor environments in the promotion and facilitation of PA in older adults.…”

“…The BE may also be particularly important for older adults who lose the ability to drive and may become more reliant on their immediate neighbourhood environment, travel shorter distances from home, and rely on active transportation modes [22]. Additionally, older adults may prefer indoor PA such as climbing indoor stairs and walking in hallways (e.g., of retirement community apartments) and malls as safe modes of exercise [23,24]. Thus, BE building features may also support or hinder PA for those living in these communities [25].…”