Neighborhood mobility and unmet physical activity need in old age : a 2-year follow-up

Background: Many older people report willingness to increase outdoor physical activity (PA), but no opportunities for it, a situation termed as unmet PA need. We studied whether lower neighborhood mobility and PA precede the development of unmet PA need. Methods: Community-dwelling 75-90-year-old people (n=700) were interviewed annually for two years. Unmet PA need, neighborhood mobility and PA were self-reported. Additionally, accelerometer-based step counts were assessed among a subgroup (n=156). Results: Logistic regression analyses revealed that lower baseline neighborhood mobility (OR 3.02, 95% CI 1.86-4.90 vs. daily) and PA (OR 4.37, CI 2.62-7.29 vs. high) were associated with the development of unmet PA need over two years. Participants with higher step counts had lower risk for unmet PA need (OR 0.68, CI 0.54-0.87). Conclusion: Maintaining higher PA levels and finding solutions for daily outdoor mobility especially for those with declines in health may protect from the development of unmet PA need