The Association between Changes in Built Environment and Changes in Walking among Older Women in Portland, Oregon

Some cross-sectional evidence suggests that the objectively measured built environment can encourage walking among older adults. We examined the associations between objectively measured built environment with change in self-reported walking among older women by using data from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF). We evaluated the longitudinal associations between built environment characteristics and walking among 1253 older women (median age = 71 years) in Portland, Oregon using generalized estimating equation models. Built environment characteristics included baseline values and longitudinal changes in distance to the closest bus stop, light rail station, commercial area, and park. A difference of 1 km in the baseline distance to the closest bus stop was associated with a 12% decrease in the total number of blocks walked per week during follow-up (e(β) = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.78, 0.99). Our study provided limited support for an association between neighborhood transportation and changes in walking among older women. Future studies should consider examining both objective measures and perceptions of the built environment.