The Associations of Built Environment with Older People Recreational Walking and Physical Activity in a Chinese Small-Scale City of Yiwu

Jiabin Yu, Chen Yang, Xiaoguang Zhao, Zhexiao Zhou, Shen Zhang, Diankai Zhai and Jianshe Li
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Jiabin Yu: Faculty of Sport Science, Research Academy of Grand Health, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
Chen Yang: Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC H2W 1S4, Canada
Xiaoguang Zhao: Faculty of Sport Science, Research Academy of Grand Health, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
Zhexiao Zhou: Faculty of Sport Science, Research Academy of Grand Health, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
Shen Zhang: Faculty of Sport Science, Research Academy of Grand Health, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
Diankai Zhai: Faculty of Sport Science, Research Academy of Grand Health, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
Jianshe Li: Faculty of Sport Science, Research Academy of Grand Health, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 5, 1-12

Abstract: Physical activity would bring in plenty of health benefits, especially recreational physical activity (RPA). Previous studies have suggested that built environment would affect older people’s recreational walking (RW) and RPA, but how the effects exist in a small-scale Chinese city remains unclear. Two hundred and fifty-two older participants were recruited in the city of Yiwu using cross-sectional survey of random samples in 2019. RW and RPA level of participants and perceived scores of built environments were collected using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale, respectively. Linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate the association of built environment with older people’s RW and RPA. The results showed that two main factors affecting older people’s RW and RPA were residential density and aesthetics. Additionally, access to services was related to RW, and street connectivity was correlated with RPA. The associations of RW with built environment varied slightly with demographic variables included in the regression model. All the results suggested that lower residential density, better aesthetics environment, and higher street connectivity would motivate older people to engage more in RW and RPA. The better access to services encourages only RW, not RPA, in older people. These findings would be helpful for policy decision makers in the urban construction process in Yiwu. More studies are needed to enlarge the scientific evidence base about small-scale cities in China.

Keywords: over 60 years old; leisure time; empirical study; correlates (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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