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

有规律的体力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。这项研究提案将调查老年人建筑环境和体力活动之间的联系。遵循人-环境匹配模型，有功能限制的老年人应该更容易受到建成环境的影响，因为他们应对环境需求的能力受到限制。相比之下，社会支持可能会激励身体受限的人进行身体活动，并充当促进者。该研究项目将用从地理信息系统检索的客观地理数据来补充感知到的环境特征。研究纳入了分别来自两个国家(加拿大和美国)的四个地区，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。研究问题将使用乔杜里教授(我在加拿大西蒙·弗雷泽大学推荐的导师)进行的CIHR研究数据来回答。这项研究提供了一个独特的机会，通过比较分析来考察加拿大温哥华和美国波特兰的四个城市地区。拟议的研究将从社会生态的角度提供概念上的信息，研究个人和已建环境因素之间的复杂相互关系。该项目将有助于理解建筑环境的变化如何减少老年人的障碍，这些老年人的功能限制导致体力活动增加。

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.