How Do Older Adults Living in the Community in Brazil Perceive Walkability in the Context of Sidewalks?

Abstract

Our goal was to explore older adults’ views on walkability on sidewalks. An online survey was conducted based on the Active Design framework and participants and experts committee analyzed 22 photographs about the quality of sidewalks for walking. The top barriers reported by older adults were poor sidewalk condition and lack of accessibility. Safety and good accessibility were identified as facilitators for a positive walking experience. There was disagreement in seven pictures, reflecting that they might not perceive bad walking experiences. Understating how older adults perceive attributes for walking may help shape actions for aging-friendly cities.

Keywords:

• Aging
• mobility
• older adults
• physical environment
• sidewalks
• walkability

Acknowledgements

We thank Cidade Ativa and Gustavo Carvalho for providing the photos for methods.