Clinical trial NCT00094211: Understanding the Impact of Neighborhood Type on Physical Activity in Older Adults
Official title: Neighborhood Impact on Physical Activity in Older Adults
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Cardiovascular Diseases
Heart Diseases
Lead sponsor: Stanford University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
First posted: 2004-10-15
Enrollment: 896
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 65
Standard ages: OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Observational model: COHORT
Time perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Residents of selected block groups in King County, WA and the Baltimore region.

Brief summary: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether seniors living in neighborhoods that are conducive to walking are more physically active than those living in neighborhoods that are less conducive to walking.

Detailed description: BACKGROUND:

Despite the recognized benefits of regular physical activity for older adults, people over the age of 65 remain among the most inactive groups of the U.S. population. Efforts to understand the factors influencing physical activity in this important group have been limited primarily to demographic and psychosocial domains. The importance of the neighborhood environment in influencing a host of health, behavioral, and psychosocial outcomes has been recognized. However, to date, no systematic investigation of the relationship between objective and subjective environmental factors and objectively measured physical activity levels among older adults has been undertaken.

DESIGN NARRATIVE:

This observational study will investigate whether seniors living in neighborhoods conducive to walking are more physically active, after adjusting for socioeconomic status (SES), than those living in neighborhoods less conducive to walking or other forms of physical activity for transportation or recreational purposes. Additional questions of interest concern the moderating effects of physical function and the proportion of seniors living nearby on the relationship between environment and physical activity. The study will take advantage of the sampling, recruitment, and data collection methods of an ongoing NIH-funded research project aimed at integrating public health and urban planning frameworks in studying the impacts of environmental factors on physical activity levels in younger adults. Population-based sampling methods will be used to recruit adults over 65 years of age who are living in more walkable versus less walkable neighborhoods of varying SES levels. Participants will be recruited from Seattle, Washington (n = 600) and Baltimore, Maryland (n = 600). In addition to objectively measured physical environment (using geographic information systems {GIS}) and physical activity levels (using accelerometry), self-reported neighborhood environment, physical activity, and quality of life variables of particular relevance to older adults will be assessed twice during a 12-month period.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion criteria:

* Currently living in an apartment, condo, house, or assisted living facility
* Able to walk more than 10 feet at a time
* Able to speak and read English
* Able to complete study surveys (with assistance if necessary)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Not currently living in one of the areas in which the study will take place

Primary outcomes:
measure: Physical Environment Factors Using Geographic Information Systems [GIS]
timeFrame: at two time points, 6 months apart, which were averaged
measure: Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS) Self-reported Walking for Errands
timeFrame: Assessment at baseline and 6 months, with the data across these two time points averaged to increase outcome stability.
measure: Accelerometer Measured Physical Activity
timeFrame: Assessment at baseline and 6 months, with the data across these two time points averaged to increase outcome stability.
measure: Neighborhood Environment for Walkability Survey (NEWS) - Walking and Cycling Facilities in Neighborhood
timeFrame: Assessment at baseline and 6 months, with the data across these two time points averaged to increase outcome stability.
measure: Neighborhood Environment for Walkability Survey (NEWS) - Land Use Mix Access
timeFrame: Assessment at baseline and 6 months, with the data across these two time points averaged to increase outcome stability.
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: San Diego
country: United States
facility: San Diego State University
state: California
city: Stanford
country: United States
facility: Stanford University School of Medicine
state: California
city: Vancouver
country: Canada
facility: University of British Columbia-Vancouver
state: British Columbia
Study officials:
affiliation: Stanford University
name: Abby King
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Stewart AL, Mills KM, King AC, Haskell WL, Gillis D, Ritter PL. CHAMPS physical activity questionnaire for older adults: outcomes for interventions. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001 Jul;33(7):1126-41. doi: 10.1097/00005768-200107000-00010.