Effects of neighborhood features on healthy aging in place: the composition and context of urban parks and traditional local coffeeshops in Singapore

BMC Geriatrics

Research

Shu Tian Ng¹  Cheryl Xue Er Low¹  Chuen Seng Tan¹  Huso Yi¹  Cheng Mun Chang¹ 

[1]Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore

关键词: Built environment;    Neighborhood effects;    Older adults;    Healthy aging in place;    Exercise;    Smoking;    Ethnographic assessment;    Mixed methods;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12877-022-03679-z

 received in 2022-04-03, accepted in 2022-12-06,  发布年份 2022

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundHealthy aging in place is affected by what the neighborhood provides for older adults. The mixed-methods ethnographic study explored the built environmental and contextual effects of urban parks and traditional local coffeeshops (kopitiam) on health practices among older adults in Singapore.MethodsA door-to-door survey with 497 older adults from 32 residential blocks in a public housing town assessed exercise and smoking. The walking distances from the residential blocks to the facilities were calculated. Regression analysis examined the associations between the distance and rates of exercise and smoking. Ethnographic assessment data contextualized the quantitative findings.ResultsOlder adults’ exercise was associated with proximity to an urban park but not traditional local coffeeshops. High rates of smoking were clustered in the housing blocks close to the coffeeshops, which provided casual drinking places with smoking tables. The proximity to the coffeeshops was significantly associated with increased smoking and decreased exercise. A walking distance of 200 m to the park and coffeeshops was found to discriminate the outcomes.ConclusionsThe findings suggested that walking distances of a few blocks influenced health behaviors among older adults. Their smoking habits appeared to be maintained through environmental features and cultural norms attached to the coffeeshops. Policy of urban planning and redevelopment for the aging population needs to consider the socioecology of healthy aging in place.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2022

【 图 表 】

12982_2022_119_Article_IEq239.gif

12982_2022_119_Article_IEq235.gif

12888_2022_4365_Article_IEq5.gif