Neighborhood Environment and Objectively Measured Sedentary Behavior Among Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: We examined the relationships between objectively assessed neighborhood environment and the patterns of sedentary behavior among older adults. Methods: A total of 126 community-dwelling older adults (aged 65 years or above) were recruited. Data on neighborhood environmental attributes (resident density, street intersection density, sidewalk availability, accessible destinations, and accessible public transportation), accelerometer-assessed total time and patterns of sedentary behavior (number and duration of bouts), and sociodemographic characteristics were collected. Multiple linear regression models were developed. Results: After adjustment for potential confounders, greater sidewalk availability was negatively related to the number of sedentary bouts (beta = -0.185; 95% CI: -0.362, 0.015; p = 0.034) and sedentary bout duration (beta = -0.180; 95% CI: -0.354, -0.011; p = 0.037). Conclusions: This study revealed that a favorable neighborhood environment characterized by sidewalk availability is negatively associated with sedentary behavior patterns in Taiwanese older adults. These findings are critical to inform environmental policy initiatives to prevent sedentary lifestyle in older adults.

Automated summary

The study found that greater sidewalk availability is negatively associated with the number and duration of sedentary bouts in older adults, highlighting the importance of environmental factors in preventing a sedentary lifestyle.