Introduction:

Though walking outdoors is one of the most accessible and common forms of physical activity for older adults, a person's engagement in walking depends on individual factors such as health status, gender, social functioning. It also depends on environmental factors like the built environment. Previous research in older adults with obesity concluded that local walkability significantly improved objectively measured total moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).

Objective:

The main objective of this study was to expand on the existing findings by assessing the relationship between the frequency, duration, and intensity of walking sessions, neighbourhood walkability, and self-perceived social functioning in older adults.

Methods:

• The longitudinal study included 427 seniors aged 55-75 years with obesity and metabolic syndrome. The participants included 214 women and 213 men, with a mean age of 64 ± 5.4 years and a mean BMI of 31.8 ± 3.8 kg/m² were assessed over 2091 weeks.
• A 1-kilometre area around each participant’s home was mapped using GIS, and scores for population, street crossings, and nearby shops were combined to create a walkability score.
• Participants wore wrist accelerometers for seven days each year, and an algorithm was used to find walking sessions by joining steps together, even if short breaks like stopping at traffic or talking happened.
• Each year, social functioning was measured using the SF-36 questionnaire.
• A statistical model was used to study how walkability, social life, gender, age, time in the study, and BMI affected how often, how long, and how fast people walked, with adjustments made to account for repeated measurements.

Results:

Conclusion:

The findings emphasized the importance of urban planning and community support in encouraging physical activity, among older adults particularly in populations with overweight and obesity.

ECO, 11-14 May 2025, Malaga, Spain