Neighborhood Disorder and Physical Activity among Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Neighborhood physical disorder-the visual indications of neighborhood deterioration-may inhibit outdoor physical activity, particularly among older adults. However, few previous studies of the association between neighborhood disorder and physical activity have focused on this sensitive population group, and most have been cross-sectional. We examined the relationship between neighborhood physical disorder and physical activity, measured using the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE), in a three-wave longitudinal study of 3497 New York City residents aged 65-75 at baseline weighted to be representative of the older adult population of New York City. We used longitudinal mixed linear regression controlling for a number of individual and neighborhood factors to estimate the association of disorder with PASE score at baseline and change in PASE score over 2 years. There were too few subjects to assess the effect of changes in disorder on activity levels. In multivariable mixed regression models accounting for individual and neighborhood factors; for missing data and for loss to followup, each standard deviation increase in neighborhood disorder was associated with an estimated 2.0 units (95% CI 0.3, 3.6) lower PASE score at baseline, or the equivalent of about 6 min of walking per day. However, physical disorder was not related to changes in PASE score over 2 years of follow-up. In this ethnically and socioeconomically diverse population of urban older adults, residents of more disordered neighborhoods were on average less active at baseline. Physical disorder was not associated with changes in overall physical activity over time.

Neighborhood Disorder and Obesity-Related Outcomes among Women in Chicago

“…Many [ 30 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ], but not all [ 31 , 41 , 42 ] studies, have found positive associations with BMI or obesity. For physical activity, prior studies have found mixed results [ 6 , 25 , 36 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ]. For example a recent study among older adults in New York City that used Google Street View audits to ascertain neighborhood physical disorder found higher levels of disorder to be associated with lower physical activity at baseline, but not with changes in disorder over time [ 6 ].…”

“…Repeat exposure to neighborhood physical and social disorder (e.g., graffiti, abandoned buildings, and crime) may trigger an ongoing physiological stress response resulting in dysregulation of neuroendocrine and inflammatory processes [ 2 , 3 , 4 ], a pathway that has been associated with central adiposity [ 5 ]. Residents of disordered neighborhoods may also be less likely to engage in physical activity [ 6 ] and more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors as a coping mechanism [ 7 , 8 ]. Finally, perceptions of neighborhood disorder (which may be influenced by racial stereotyping and stigma) may lead to further economic disinvestment in disadvantaged neighborhoods [ 9 ], which can limit access to resources and amenities and may have negative health impacts.…”

“…New technologies including Google’s “Street View” feature make it possible to assess these features virtually by viewing high resolution images of neighborhoods of interest and taking a virtual “walk” through the neighborhood [ 13 , 14 , 15 ]. Prior studies have found Google Street View to be a reliable and cost-effective method of measuring neighborhood characteristics [ 13 , 15 , 16 , 17 ], and have used the application to audit neighborhood characteristics including physical disorder [ 6 , 13 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. While the reliability of this approach has been previously established, few prior studies have examined associations of Google Street View-audited neighborhood physical disorder with health outcomes [ 6 , 15 ].…”

Differential vulnerability to neighbourhood disorder: a gene×environment interaction study

“…A growing literature indicates that T2D is the result of interactions between genotype and environment (GxE), where genetic risk for T2D is heightened by factors such as sedentary lifestyles and obesity 7. We believe that these lifestyles are downstream of more fundamental social factors such as the places in which people live 8. In the present study, we examined whether increased perceptions of neighbourhood disorder exacerbate genetic risk for T2D.…”

Neighbourhood Supports for Active Ageing in Urban India

“…Among older adults, poorly maintained streets, lack of traffic management and lack of physical segregation between pedestrians, cyclists and motorised vehicles contribute to increased risk and fear of falling (Rosenberg et al, 2012) . Stressors from the built environment such as loud horns, speeding vehicles, lack of pedestrian facilities and physical disorder can also add to older adults’ anxiety levels (Mooney et al, 2017). This results in a compounding impact on social isolation in the most vulnerable old (Gardiner et al, 2018).…”