Physical activity, built environment, and functional limitations in older adults: A social-ecological perspective

老年人的体力活动、建筑环境和功能限制：社会生态视角

• 批准号: 398948032
• 负责人: Dr. Florian Herbolsheimer
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Gerontology Research Centre
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Fellowships
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2016-12-31 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/398948032?language=en
• 关键词: Physical; activity; built; environment; functional

Regular physical activity is essential for the health and quality of life in old age. However, to what extent older adults are physically active is not only the result of individual habits and attitudes but is also shaped by the environmental context. The research proposal will investigate the associations between the built environment and physical activity in older adults. Following the Person-Environment fit model, older adults with functional limitations should be more vulnerable to the built environments as their capabilities to cope with environmental demands are restricted. In contrast, social support might motivate physically restricted persons to be physically active and serve as a facilitator. The research project will complement perceived environmental characteristics with objective geographic data retrieved from a geographic information system. Four districts respectively from two countries (Canada and the USA) are included to take factors into account that can alter the relationship between physical limitations, physical environment, and physical activity.The research questions will be answered using data from the CIHR study by Prof Chaudhury (my proposed mentor at Simon Fraser University, Canada). The study provides a unique opportunity to examine in comparative analyses four urban districts in Vancouver (Canada) and Portland (USA).The proposed research will be conceptually informed by a social-ecological perspective, studying the complex interrelations between individual and built environmental factors. The project will contribute to the understanding of how changes in the built environment could reduce barriers for older adults with functional limitations leading to increased physical activity.

有规律的身体活动对老年人的健康和生活质量至关重要。然而，老年人的身体活动程度不仅是个人习惯和态度的结果，而且还受到环境背景的影响。该研究计划将调查建筑环境与老年人身体活动之间的关联。根据人与环境的匹配模型，功能受限的老年人科普环境需求的能力受到限制，因此更容易受到建筑环境的影响。相反，社会支持可能会激励身体受限的人进行身体活动，并作为一个促进者。该研究项目将利用从地理信息系统中检索的客观地理数据来补充所感知的环境特征。我们分别从加拿大和美国两个国家的四个地区进行研究，以考虑可能改变身体限制、身体环境和身体活动之间关系的因素。研究问题将使用Chaudhury教授（我在加拿大西蒙弗雷泽大学的导师）的CIHR研究的数据来回答。该研究提供了一个独特的机会，在比较分析中检查在温哥华（加拿大）和波特兰（美国）的四个城市districts。拟议的研究将在概念上通知的社会生态的角度来看，研究个人和建筑环境因素之间的复杂的相互关系。该项目将有助于了解建筑环境的变化如何减少老年人的障碍，这些障碍导致身体活动增加。