IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v14y2017i10p1199-d114353.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Associations between Perceived Neighborhood Walkability and Walking Time, Wellbeing, and Loneliness in Community-Dwelling Older Chinese People in Hong Kong

Author

Listed:
  • Ruby Yu

    (Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
    CUHK Jockey Club Institute of Ageing, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

  • Osbert Cheung

    (Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

  • Kevin Lau

    (CUHK Jockey Club Institute of Ageing, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
    Institute of Future Cities, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
    Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

  • Jean Woo

    (Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
    CUHK Jockey Club Institute of Ageing, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

Abstract

This study examined the cross-sectional associations between perceived neighborhood walkability and walking time, physical activity, wellbeing, and loneliness, and examined which components of walkability were most strongly associated with better wellbeing and less loneliness in older adults. Participants were community-dwelling Chinese adults aged 60+ ( n = 181). Walkability was measured using nine items selected from the Chinese version of the abbreviated Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scales (NEWS) and NEWS for Chinese Seniors. Outcomes were walking time, physical activity, wellbeing (life satisfaction, happiness, sense of purpose and meaning in life), and loneliness. The mean age of the participants was 71.7 ± 7.8 years. Walkability was positively associated with walking time ( p = 0.001, p for trend <0.001) but not with physical activity. After adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics, health conditions, lifestyle, and negative life events, those who perceived their neighborhoods as walkable had higher scores for life satisfaction ( p = 0.002) and happiness ( p = 0.002), and lower scores for loneliness ( p = 0.019), compared with those who perceived their neighborhoods as less walkable. However, perceived neighborhood walkability was not associated with sense of purpose and meaning in life. Among components of walkability, land use mix-access, infrastructure and safety for walking, and traffic safety showed the strongest associations with the measures of wellbeing. The results of this study support the importance of neighborhood walkability for health behavior and wellbeing of older adults. The wellbeing of older adults may be enhanced through the improvement of land use mix-access, infrastructure for walking, and traffic safety.

Suggested Citation

  • Ruby Yu & Osbert Cheung & Kevin Lau & Jean Woo, 2017. "Associations between Perceived Neighborhood Walkability and Walking Time, Wellbeing, and Loneliness in Community-Dwelling Older Chinese People in Hong Kong," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-15, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:14:y:2017:i:10:p:1199-:d:114353
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/14/10/1199/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/14/10/1199/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Benjamin A. Shaw & Neal Krause & Jersey Liang & Joan Bennett, 2007. "Tracking Changes in Social Relations Throughout Late Life," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 62(2), pages 90-99.
    2. Leyden, K.M., 2003. "Social Capital and the Built Environment: The Importance of Walkable Neighborhoods," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(9), pages 1546-1551.
    3. Gary W. Evans & Elyse Kantrowitz & Paul Eshelman, 2002. "Housing Quality and Psychological Well-Being Among the Elderly Population," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 57(4), pages 381-383.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Eun Jung Kim & Suin Jin, 2023. "Walk Score and Neighborhood Walkability: A Case Study of Daegu, South Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-12, February.
    2. Shuangzhou Chen & Zhikang Bao & Junjie Chen & Linchuan Yang & Vivian Lou, 2022. "Sustainable built environment for facilitating public health of older adults: Evidence from Hong Kong," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(5), pages 1086-1098, October.
    3. Bojing Liao & Xiang Li, 2023. "Neighborhood Environment and Affective Walking Experience: Cluster Analysis Results of a Virtual-Environment-Based Conjoint Experiment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-19, January.
    4. Karacaoğlu Sıla, 2024. "Searching for Life Satisfaction in Nature through Tourism: An Exploratory Research on Hikers," European Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Recreation, Sciendo, vol. 14(1), pages 140-152.
    5. Teck Hong Tan & Izian Idris, 2023. "Assessing the significance of first place and online third places in supporting Malaysian seniors’ well-being during the pandemic," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    6. Sunwoo Lee, 2021. "Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Association between Neighborhood Environment and Perceived Control in Older Adults: Findings from HRS," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-8, October.
    7. Mirna Zordan & Jin Yeu Tsou & Hao Huang, 2023. "Street Vibrancy and Outdoor Activities under COVID-19 Psychological Distress: Lessons from Hong Kong," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-22, October.
    8. Liang En Wee & Yun Ying Tammy Tsang & Sook Muay Tay & Andre Cheah & Mark Puhaindran & Jaime Yee & Shannon Lee & Kellynn Oen & Choon Huat Gerald Koh, 2019. "Perceived Neighborhood Environment and Its Association with Health Screening and Exercise Participation amongst Low-Income Public Rental Flat Residents in Singapore," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-16, April.
    9. Liang En Wee & Tammy Yun Ying Tsang & Huso Yi & Sue Anne Toh & Geok Ling Lee & Jaime Yee & Shannon Lee & Kellynn Oen & Gerald Choon Huat Koh, 2019. "Loneliness amongst Low-Socioeconomic Status Elderly Singaporeans and its Association with Perceptions of the Neighbourhood Environment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-9, March.
    10. Amit Birenboim & Pazit Ben-Nun Bloom & Hila Levit & Itzhak Omer, 2021. "The Study of Walking, Walkability and Wellbeing in Immersive Virtual Environments," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-18, January.
    11. Jean Woo, 2017. "How Can We Achieve Healthy Aging?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-2, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shannon Rogers & Semra Aytur & Kevin Gardner & Cynthia Carlson, 2012. "Measuring community sustainability: exploring the intersection of the built environment & social capital with a participatory case study," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 2(2), pages 143-153, June.
    2. Noelia Somarriba Arechavala & Pilar Zarzosa Espina & Ana Teresa López Pastor, 2022. "The Importance of the Neighbourhood Environment and Social Capital for Happiness in a Vulnerable District: The Case of the Pajarillos District in Spain," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 1941-1965, June.
    3. Zeru Jiang & Bo Zhang & Chunlai Yuan & Zhaojie Han & Jiangtao Liu, 2024. "Can Urban Sprawl Promote Enterprise Innovation? Evidence from A-Share Listed Companies in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-21, May.
    4. Ball, Kylie & Cleland, Verity J. & Timperio, Anna F. & Salmon, Jo & Giles-Corti, Billie & Crawford, David A., 2010. "Love thy neighbour? Associations of social capital and crime with physical activity amongst women," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(4), pages 807-814, August.
    5. Albert Lee & Keiko Nakamura, 2021. "Engaging Diverse Community Groups to Promote Population Health through Healthy City Approach: Analysis of Successful Cases in Western Pacific Region," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-26, June.
    6. Austin Boyle & Charles Barrilleaux & Daniel Scheller, 2014. "Does Walkability Influence Housing Prices?," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 95(3), pages 852-867, September.
    7. Ana Gil Solá & Bertil Vilhelmson, 2018. "Negotiating Proximity in Sustainable Urban Planning: A Swedish Case," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-18, December.
    8. Katherine King, 2013. "Jane Jacobs and ‘The Need for Aged Buildings’: Neighbourhood Historical Development Pace and Community Social Relations," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 50(12), pages 2407-2424, September.
    9. Bonatti, Luigi & Campiglio, Emanuele, 2013. "How can transportation policies affect growth? A theoretical analysis of the long-term effects of alternative mobility systems," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 528-540.
    10. Marquet, Oriol & Miralles-Guasch, Carme, 2015. "Neighbourhood vitality and physical activity among the elderly: The role of walkable environments on active ageing in Barcelona, Spain," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 24-30.
    11. Zhonghua Gou & Xiaohuan Xie & Yi Lu & Maryam Khoshbakht, 2018. "Quality of Life (QoL) Survey in Hong Kong: Understanding the Importance of Housing Environment and Needs of Residents from Different Housing Sectors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-16, January.
    12. Yang Xiao & Siyu Miao & Chinmoy Sarkar & Huizhi Geng & Yi Lu, 2018. "Exploring the Impacts of Housing Condition on Migrants’ Mental Health in Nanxiang, Shanghai: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-14, January.
    13. Bradley Bereitschaft, 2017. "Equity in Microscale Urban Design and Walkability: A Photographic Survey of Six Pittsburgh Streetscapes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-20, July.
    14. Enayat Mirzaei & Dominique Mignot, 2021. "An Empirical Analysis of Mode Choice Decision for Utilitarian and Hedonic Trips: Evidence from Iran," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-23, June.
    15. Michał Jaśkiewicz & Tomasz Besta, 2016. "Polish Version of the Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS-Poland)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-14, November.
    16. Eun Jung Kim & Hyunjung Kim, 2020. "Neighborhood Walkability and Housing Prices: A Correlation Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-18, January.
    17. Fernández-Carro Celia, 2012. "Movers or Stayers? Heterogeneity of Older Adults' Residential Profiles Across Continental Europe," European Spatial Research and Policy, Sciendo, vol. 19(1), pages 17-32, July.
    18. Bojing Liao & Yifan Xu & Xiang Li & Ji Li, 2022. "Association between Campus Walkability and Affective Walking Experience, and the Mediating Role of Walking Attitude," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-13, November.
    19. Wang, Donggen & Lin, Tao, 2013. "Built environments, social environments, and activity-travel behavior: a case study of Hong Kong," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 286-295.
    20. Rosemary Hiscock & Pierpaolo Mudu & Matthias Braubach & Marco Martuzzi & Laura Perez & Clive Sabel, 2014. "Wellbeing Impacts of City Policies for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-34, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:14:y:2017:i:10:p:1199-:d:114353. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.