Relationships between the built environment and walking and weight status among older women in three U.S. States

J Aging Phys Act. 2014 Jan;22(1):114-25. doi: 10.1123/japa.2012-0137. Epub 2013 Mar 26.

Abstract

There are few studies of built environment associations with physical activity and weight status among older women in large geographic areas that use individual residential buffers to define environmental exposures. Among 23,434 women (70.0 ± 6.9 yr; range = 57-85) in 3 states, relationships between objective built environment variables and meeting physical activity recommendations via walking and weight status were examined. Differences in associations by population density and state were explored in stratified models. Population density (odds ratio [OR] =1.04 [1.02, 1.07]), intersection density (ORs = 1.18-1.28), and facility density (ORs = 1.01-1.53) were positively associated with walking. Density of physical activity facilities was inversely associated with overweight/obesity (OR = 0.69 [0.49, 0.96]). The strongest associations between facility density variables and both outcomes were found among women from higher population density areas. There was no clear pattern of differences in associations across states. Among older women, relationships between accessible facilities and walking may be most important in more densely populated settings.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Architectural Accessibility* / methods
  • Architectural Accessibility* / standards
  • Architectural Accessibility* / statistics & numerical data
  • Body Mass Index
  • California
  • Environment Design* / standards
  • Environment Design* / statistics & numerical data
  • Environmental Exposure / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Health Behavior
  • Humans
  • Massachusetts
  • Motor Activity
  • Obesity* / diagnosis
  • Obesity* / physiopathology
  • Obesity* / psychology
  • Odds Ratio
  • Pennsylvania
  • Population Density*
  • Residence Characteristics / statistics & numerical data
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Walking* / physiology
  • Walking* / psychology