Table 3.
Synthesis of literature review of environmental factors positively (+), negatively (−) or not (0) associated with mobility and social participation in older adults
| Environment | Mobility | Social participation |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter 1: Product * and technology | ||
| e120: Products and technology for personal indoor and outdoor mobility and transportation | ||
| Mobility assistive device | +[87], −[123] | +[87], 0[117] |
| e125: Products for communication | ||
| Communication technology | +[113] | +[113], 0[117] |
| e140: Products and technology for culture, recreation and sport | ||
| Absence of parks and walking areas | −[111] | −[133] |
| Community gardens | +[99] | +[99] |
| Space for socialisation | +[86], +[87], +[99], +[102] | +[87] |
| e150: Design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for public use | ||
| Absence of high ramps | 0[132] | |
| Adequate handicap parking | +[123], +[133] | +[123] |
| Buildings difficult to access | −†[93] | |
| Escalators, curbs and uneven surfaces | 0‡/–§[92] | |
| Parking | +[93], +[99] | |
| Public facilities | 0[90], +[114] | |
| Seating | +[86], +[87], +[93], +[99], +[102], +[105], 0/+**[109], +[122], +/0[132] | +[87], +[105], 0[133] |
| Toilet facilities adequate for persons with disabilities | +[93] | |
| Universally accessible public spaces | +[99],+[123] | +[123] |
| Washrooms | +[99], +[122], 0[132] | |
| Water fountains | +[99], +[122] | |
| e155: Design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use | ||
| Easy access of residential entrance | 0[109] | |
| Home architectural mobility barriers | −††[117] | |
| e160: Products and technology of land development | ||
| Aesthetics‡‡ | +[86], 0[98], 0[109], +[114], +[116], +[122], +[129], +[132] | |
| Bad condition of sidewalks | +[114] | |
| Bridge/overpasses connecting to services | +[109] | |
| Crossing | +[86], +[132] | |
| Dispersion of resources | −[110], −[129] | −[110] |
| Fence separating sidewalks from traffic | 0[109] | |
| Few streets | −[96] | |
| Good condition of streets/path | +[87], +[90], 0[97], +[99] | |
| Good quality of facilities | +[71] | |
| Good user-friendliness of the walking environment | +[72], 0[94], +[113], +[135] | +[113], +[127], 0[128] |
| Indoor shopping areas | +[114] | |
| Mixed services and good pedestrian access | +[126] | |
| No curbs with curb cuts | 0[133] | |
| Uninviting neighborhood surroundings | -[114] | |
| Poor user-friendliness of the walking environment | 0‡**/−§††[27], −[87], 0[90], −[102], −[105], 0[109], −[113], −[115], −[122], −[131] | −[99], −[105], −/+††[107], −[118] |
| Poorly maintained or missing sidewalks, crosswalks, bike paths or lanes | −[129] | |
| Garbage | −[111] | |
| Proximity to recreational/exercise facilities | 0/+1[90], +[95], +[99], +[105], +[109], +[112], +[113], +[114], +[116], 0[119], +[120], +[122], 0[125], +[132] | +[105], +[113] |
| Relocation of community services and shops | −[102], −[113] | −[102],−[113] |
| Resources proximity | +[86], 0/+1[90], +††[93], 0††‡‡‡/+[94], +[96], 0[98], +[99], +§***†/−†††[101],+[102], +[105], 0/+[115], +[116], +[120], +[123], +[125], +[126],+[129], +[134] | +[88], +[105], +[107], +[110], +[123], +[127], +[128] |
| Rural > urban | +***[101] | |
| Safe stairs | +[99] | |
| Sidewalks | +[86], 0[96],+[99], +[102], +[105], 0[111], +[114], 0[116], 0[125] | +[105] |
| Streets connectivity | +[86], 0[96], 0[98], 0[109] | |
| Streets in poor condition | −§††/0[89], −§††/0‡**[97] | |
| Streets with traffic lights and busy streets | 0‡**/−††[92] | |
| Traffic and road hazards | 0[109] | |
| Traffic lights located at inconvenient spots | −[122] | |
| Unfamiliar places | 0‡**/−††§[92] | |
| Urban > rural | +†§[101], 0‡‡‡/+§§§[132] | +†‡‡[101] |
| Urban > semi-urban > rural | +[110], 0[130] | |
| Walking/cycling facilities | 0[98],+[109], 0[111], −3/+[114], +[116], 0[125], +[129] | |
| e165: Assets | ||
| Packages carried | −[27] | |
| Chapter 2: Natural environment and human-made changes to environment | ||
| e210: Physical geography | ||
| Topography physically demanding | 0[90], 0[111], −[113] | −[113] |
| e215: Population | ||
| Crowded places with high traffic density | 0‡**/−††§[92] | |
| Living in prosperous areas | +[71] | |
| Low level of traffic | +[101] | |
| Low Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status | +[95], +[96] | |
| Neighborhood | +[121] | |
| Population density | 0[72], 0[109], 0[116], +[120] | |
| Seniors density | 0[72], +[95] | |
| Traffic | +[96],−[105], 0[109], 0[111],−***[113], −[132] | +††§****[89],−[105],0[113] |
| White people density | +[95] | |
| e220: Flora and fauna | ||
| Animals | −/+2[114] | |
| Stray animals | −[90] | |
| Lack of greenery | −[131] | |
| Nature and green space | +[86], 0[91], +[93], +[102], 0[111], +[114], +[129], 0[132] | +[118] |
| e225: Climate | ||
| Poor weather conditions | 0**‡/−§††[92], −[102], 0[111], −[113], −[114], −[122] | −[113] |
| e240: Light | ||
| Inadequate street lighting | −[92], −[111], −[114] | |
| Street lighting | −[27], +[86], +[90],+[99], +[132] | |
| e245: Time-related changes | ||
| Night time | −[113] | −[113] |
| e250: Sound | ||
| Absence of noise | +[132] | |
| e260: Air quality | ||
| Fresh air | +[114] | |
| Open sewers | 0[111] | |
| Smoke pollution | 0[111] | |
| Chapter 3: Support and relationships | ||
| e310: Immediate family | ||
| Support from family | +[87], +[123] | +[87], 0[106],+[123] |
| e320: Friends | ||
| Support from friends | +[123] | 0[106],+[123] |
| e325: Acquaintances, peers, colleagues, neighbors and community members | ||
| Children living in the neighborhood | −[115] | 0[128] |
| Lack of social support | −[113] | −[113] |
| People | +[86], +[102], 0[109], +[114], +[116], +[129] | +[99], +[107] |
| Social cohesion | +[95], +[119], 0[124] | |
| Social support/network | +[99], 0[111], 0[115],+[134] | +[71], +[107], +[117], +[128] |
| Walking partner | +[102] | |
| e345: Stranger | ||
| Crowdedness | 0[109], −[114] | |
| e350: Domesticated animals | ||
| Not having or not walking a dog | −[111] | |
| Chapter 4: Attitudes | ||
| e445: Individual attitudes of strangers | ||
| Drivers’ respect for pedestrians on crossings | 0[111] | |
| Negative attitude of people | −[87] | −[87] |
| Disrespectful attitude of bus drivers | −[113] | −[113] |
| e460: Societal attitudes | ||
| Poor walking culture & sidewalk etiquette | −[102] | |
| Chapter 5: Services, systems and policies | ||
| e515: Architecture and construction services, systems and policies | ||
| Architectural features that facilitate social contacts | +[108] | |
| e525: Housing services, systems and policies | ||
| Retirement home/housing facilities | +[123] | +[123] |
| e540: Transportation services, systems and policies | ||
| Car or driver’s license | +[87], +[99], +***/−†§[101], +[102], +[113], 0[115] | +[71], +[87], +[113], +[127], 0[128], +[130],+[134] |
| Inadequate public transportation | −[110], −[113] | −[113], −[110] |
| No or only one car for the dwelling | +†††[101], +††††/0[116], +†§[135] | |
| Protection and comfort at bus stops | +[93] | |
| Public transport | +[86], 0[90], +††§[93], 0[96], +[99], + [101], +[102], +[105], +[113], 0[115], 0[116],+[122], +[132], +[134] | 0[89],+[105], +[107], +[113], 0[128], +[133] |
| Transportation facilitators | +[117] | |
| e545: Civil protection services, systems and policies | ||
| Graffiti | -[99], -[125] | |
| Neighborhood security | +[86], +[90], +§††[93], 0[94], 0[95], 0[98] + [99], +[101], 0[111], +[114], +[119], +[120], +[122] | 0[71], +§††[89] |
| Neighborhood insecurity | 0[90], 0[95], −[96], 0[109], −[113], −[114], +††††[116], −[124], −[132] | 0[71], −[89], −[113], 0[133], |
| Traffic-related safety | +[86],+[99], 0††††[116], +[122] | +[89] |
| Traffic-related insecurity | −[129] | |
| e555: Associations and organizational services, systems and policies | ||
| Community-based programs | +[99] | |
| e560: Media services, systems and policies | ||
| Virtual and media-related mobility | −[113] | −[113] |
| e580: Health services, systems and policies | ||
| Promotion of sports and/or walking events | 0[111] | |
*Article or substance that is manufactured or refined for sale. This definition and the chapters are based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) [53]
†For walking
‡For persons without disability
§For persons with disabilities
**For seniors 75 years old and older
††Particularly in the period shortly after discharge from an acute care or inpatient rehabilitation hospital
‡‡Concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty
§§No signs of crime/disorder
***For driving
†††For public transportation
‡‡‡Weekly recreational walking/cycling
§§§Walk daily for transportation
****Authors explained that heavy traffic is associated with greater interpersonal interactions (perhaps because these areas also tend to have more public transit stops (not captured by our measure of proximity to public transit lines) or cafes and restaurants that facilitate interactions
††††For men walking for active transportation
1Depending on resources, their proportion or their diversity
2Depending if they enjoy them or are afraid of them
3If dangerous for crime