Cognitive and sensory dimensions of older people’s preferences of outdoor spaces for walking: A survey study in Ireland

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dc.contributor.authorCassarino, Marica
dc.contributor.authorBantry-White, Eleanor
dc.contributor.authorSetti, Annalisa
dc.date.accessioned2019-11-20T05:22:11Z
dc.date.available2019-11-20T05:22:11Z
dc.date.issued2019-04-14
dc.description.abstractBackground: Physical exercise, particularly walking, benefits healthy ageing. Understanding the environmental circumstances in which exercise occurs is crucial to the promotion of physical activity in older age. Most studies have focused on the structural dimensions of environments that may foster walking; however, individual differences in how older people perceive and interact with outdoor spaces need further attention. This study explored the cognitive and sensory dimensions of preferences of outdoor spaces for walking. Methods: We invited 112 healthy community-dwelling people aged ≥60 years to complete a survey to test associations between walking preferences and cognitive/sensory vulnerability. A subsample also completed focus groups/walk along interviews to explore qualitatively the cognitive/sensory reasons for outdoor walking preferences. Results: While most participants indicated a preference for outdoor spaces that offer variety and greenery, we observed a complex association between individual cognitive/sensory needs (stimulation seeking vs. avoidance), preferences for social interactions, and the place of residence urbanity level. Furthermore, walking preferences varied based on the purpose of the walk (recreation vs. transportation). Conclusions: Our findings support an ecological approach to understanding determinants of physical activity in older age, which consider the interaction between individual cognitive processing and the environment.en
dc.description.statusPeer revieweden
dc.description.versionPublished Versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.articleid1340en
dc.identifier.citationCassarino, M., Bantry-White, E. and Setti, A., 2019. Cognitive and Sensory Dimensions of Older People’s Preferences of Outdoor Spaces for Walking: A Survey Study in Ireland. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(8), (1340). DOI:10.3390/ijerph16081340en
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/ijerph16081340en
dc.identifier.eissn1660-4601
dc.identifier.endpage12en
dc.identifier.issn1661-7827
dc.identifier.issued8en
dc.identifier.journaltitleInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Healthen
dc.identifier.startpage1en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/9118
dc.identifier.volume16en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherMDPIen
dc.relation.urihttps://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/8/1340
dc.rights© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerlanden
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en
dc.subjectOutdoor spacesen
dc.subjectAgingen
dc.subjectPhysical activityen
dc.subjectSensory sensitivityen
dc.subjectCognitive failuresen
dc.titleCognitive and sensory dimensions of older people’s preferences of outdoor spaces for walking: A survey study in Irelanden
dc.typeArticle (peer-reviewed)en
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