The Relationship between Environmental Factors and Physical Activity in Older Adults

• Main Authors: Ken-Rung Tu, 涂肯榮
• Other Authors: Jin-Jong Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/08539616547444146880

碩士 === 國立陽明大學 === 物理治療暨輔助科技學系 === 102 === Background: Physical inactivity has become the 4th leading cause of deaths in the world, with strong relation between mortality and morbidity in older adults. Currently, about 50% old adults in Taiwan are physically inactive. As age increases and function decreases, old adults tend to be more susceptible to environmental challenges and hypersensitive to environmental constraints. Hence, it is assumed that the environmental impacts may have more influence on their physical activity (PA) and health condition when compared with other ages. However, the relations between PA and environment in older adults has not been clearly identified yet. To date, the majority of related studies are conducted only in North American and Europe areas, and rare in Asia, where the aging population has increased rapidly. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between environmental factors and physical activity in older adults in Taipei and to try to find the key factors that influence the PA of them the most. The result of this study may give some feasible suggestions to deal with the increased aging population in Taipei. Method: Subjects of this project were the older residents (≧65, N=325) in Taipei City. It is based on the design of IPEN Senior (International Physical Activity Environmental Network Senior), a study of built environments and physical activity among older adults. We selected the survey areas by high and low city walkability index and SES (Social Economic Status). We applied the GIS-based (Geographic Information Systems) environment measures to assess the city walkability of Taipei districts, and the yearly average family income of the districts as the SES standard. We used 7-days accelerometers recording (objective PA measures) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) (subjective measures) as the main PA outcomes, and used GIS-based walkability indices (by 500m buffter) as the environment factors. In addition we used 3 physical functioning tests as the health variables to check the influence of lower body function in this issue. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation, and generalized linear model to exam the relationships between PA and environmental factors. Results: The study recruited 325 participants, with 57.85% female and mean age 72.3 years. Objective physical activity were categorized into moderate/vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA), high-light physical activity (HLPA), and low-light physical activity (LLPA). Male, less age, and better agility of lower body are significantly related with more MVAP, less age and better walking speed are significantly related with more HLAP, and female, less age, and better muscular endurance of lower body are significantly related with more LLAP. Subjectvie PA outcomes measured by IPAQ are subjective MVAP, transport walking and leisure time walking. More subjective MVPA is significantly related with less public recreation amenities. More transportation walking is significantly related with female, less public transit, and less barriers. More leisure time walking is significantly related with better agility of lower body, less public transit, and less barriers. Conclusions: This study showed that the active older adults living in high population density Asian communities are limted by personal characteristics charasitic rather than walkability factors. However, the results showed that people with more age have less PA and more health risks, so we still need to clarify the relation between PA and other spporting environment, like health promotion resoures, health management services, or health care services.