Importance of proximity to resources, social support, transportation and neighborhood security for mobility and social participation in older adults: results from a scoping study

Levasseur, Mélanie; Généreux, Mélissa; Bruneau, Jean-François; Vanasse, Alain; Chabot, Éric; Beaulac, Claude; Bédard, Marie-Michèle

doi:10.1186/s12889-015-1824-0

Table 3 Synthesis of literature review of environmental factors positively (+), negatively (−) or not (0) associated with mobility and social participation in older adults

From: Importance of proximity to resources, social support, transportation and neighborhood security for mobility and social participation in older adults: results from a scoping study

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

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ISSN: 1471-2458

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