Safety perceptions of older adults on an urban greenway: Interplay of the social and built environment.
Built environment
Older adults
Safety
Social environment
Walking
Journal
Health & place
ISSN: 1873-2054
Titre abrégé: Health Place
Pays: England
ID NLM: 9510067
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
07 2021
07 2021
Historique:
received:
04
01
2021
revised:
21
05
2021
accepted:
07
06
2021
pubmed:
17
6
2021
medline:
25
11
2021
entrez:
16
6
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Creating neighbourhood places for older adults to be socially and physically active is a global health priority. Safety is integral to older adult mobility. In greenway research, perceived safety is often only partially or superficially explored. Our study comprehensively examines older adults' experiences and perceived safety for walking on a new urban greenway in Vancouver, Canada-the Arbutus Greenway. We integrated mixed methods: i) observational count data to describe the use and context of the greenway over 3 years (2017; 2018; 2019), and; ii) semi-structured interviews with older adults at two time points (2017, n = 27; 2019, n = 16). and discussion: We conducted thematic analysis to illuminate older adults' experiences across three safety domains: personal safety, traffic safety, and security. Built environment features such as benches, paving, road markings, and natural foliage buffers intersected with elements of the social environment to influence older adults' perceived safety. While the greenway supported active transportation, leisure, and social engagement for many older adults, certain factors also provoked fears, especially for older adults with mobility limitations. We advocate for a multidimensional lens to better understand how urban interventions influence perceived safety, and identify practical solutions to encourage mobility for all ages and abilities.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Creating neighbourhood places for older adults to be socially and physically active is a global health priority. Safety is integral to older adult mobility. In greenway research, perceived safety is often only partially or superficially explored. Our study comprehensively examines older adults' experiences and perceived safety for walking on a new urban greenway in Vancouver, Canada-the Arbutus Greenway.
METHODS
We integrated mixed methods: i) observational count data to describe the use and context of the greenway over 3 years (2017; 2018; 2019), and; ii) semi-structured interviews with older adults at two time points (2017, n = 27; 2019, n = 16).
RESULTS
and discussion: We conducted thematic analysis to illuminate older adults' experiences across three safety domains: personal safety, traffic safety, and security. Built environment features such as benches, paving, road markings, and natural foliage buffers intersected with elements of the social environment to influence older adults' perceived safety. While the greenway supported active transportation, leisure, and social engagement for many older adults, certain factors also provoked fears, especially for older adults with mobility limitations. We advocate for a multidimensional lens to better understand how urban interventions influence perceived safety, and identify practical solutions to encourage mobility for all ages and abilities.
Identifiants
pubmed: 34134051
pii: S1353-8292(21)00101-5
doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2021.102605
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Pagination
102605Subventions
Organisme : CIHR
ID : IP2–1507071C
Pays : Canada
Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.