Translating Urban Walkability Initiatives for Older Adults in Rural and Under-Resourced Communities

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 16; no. 17; p. 3041
• Main Authors: Klann, Alexandra, Vu, Linh, Ewing, Mollie, Fenton, Mark, Pojednic, Rachele
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 22-08-2019; MDPI
• Subjects: Adults; Age; Arthritis; Body weight; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Chronic illnesses; Community; Coronary artery disease; Diabetes mellitus; Disease control; Environment Design; Exercise; Geriatrics; Health risks; Heart diseases; Humans; Infrastructure; Land use; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Mobility; Neighborhoods; Nutrition; Older people; Parks & recreation areas; Physical activity; Physical fitness; Review; Rivers; Rural areas; Rural environments; Rural land use; Rural Population - statistics & numerical data; Seats; Systematic review; Urban areas; Urban environments; Walking; Walking - statistics & numerical data; walkability; parks; community gardens; infrastructure; recreation; older adults; exercise; physical activity
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16173041

The built environment can promote physical activity in older adults by increasing neighborhood walkability. While efforts to increase walkability are common in urban communities, there is limited data related to effective implementation in rural communities. This is problematic, as older adults make up a significant portion of rural inhabitants and exhibit lower levels of physical activity. Translating lessons from urban strategies may be necessary to address this disparity. This review examines best practices from urban initiatives that can be implemented in rural, resource-limited communities. The review of the literature revealed that simple, built environment approaches to increase walkability include microscale and pop-up infrastructure, municipal parks, and community gardens, which can also increase physical activity in neighborhoods for urban older adults. These simple and cost-effective strategies suggest great potential for rural communities.