The potential for walkability to narrow neighbourhood socioeconomic inequalities in physical function: A case study of middle-aged to older adults in Brisbane, Australia

Venurs Hy Loh; Jerome N Rachele; Wendy J Brown; Fatima Ghani; Simon Washington; Gavin Turrell

doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.01.020

The potential for walkability to narrow neighbourhood socioeconomic inequalities in physical function: A case study of middle-aged to older adults in Brisbane, Australia

Health Place. 2019 Mar:56:99-105. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.01.020. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Authors

Venurs Hy Loh¹, Jerome N Rachele², Wendy J Brown³, Fatima Ghani⁴, Simon Washington⁵, Gavin Turrell⁶

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia. Electronic address: venurs.loh@deakin.edu.au.
² Centre for Health Equity, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Australia. Electronic address: j.rachele@unimelb.edu.au.
³ Centre for Research on Exercise, Physical Activity and Health and School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: w.brown@uq.edu.au.
⁴ United Nations University-International Institute for Global Health, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: fatima.ghani@unu.edu.
⁵ School of Civil Engineering, The Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: hos@civil.uq.edu.au.
⁶ School of Health and Social Development, Centre for Population and Health Research, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia. Electronic address: gavin.turrell@deakin.edu.au.

PMID: 30716668
DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.01.020

Abstract

Residents of disadvantaged neighbourhoods have poorer physical function than their advantaged counterparts, although the reasons for this remain largely unknown. We examined the moderating effects of walkability in the relationship between neighbourhood disadvantage and physical function using 2013 cross-sectional data from 5115 individuals aged 46-72 living in 200 neighbourhoods in Brisbane, Australia. The relationship between neighbourhood disadvantage and physical function differed by levels of walkability: positive associations as levels of walkability increased for those living in more disadvantaged neighbourhoods, and no difference for those living in more advantaged neighbourhoods. Further work is required to better understand the underlying mechanisms.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Australia
Built Environment*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Exercise
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Organizational Case Studies
Poverty / statistics & numerical data*
Residence Characteristics*
Surveys and Questionnaires
Walking / psychology*