Park proximity and older adults’ physical activity and sedentary behaviors in dense urban areas

Urbanization represents a significant population trend, and a longer life expectancy increases the number of older people living in cities. Aging can intensify urbanization and urban design challenges. Parks or public open spaces are settings within the neighborhood that can support older people to live an active lifestyle. This study examined associations between the number of and distance to parks and physical activity levels and sedentary behavior patterns among a sample of 276 older adults in Japan. Physical activity levels and sedentary behavior patterns were objectively measured using accelerometer devices. Park measures, including distance to the nearest and second nearest park and the count of parks within network-based buffers of 800 m and 1600 m from home, were calculated using a geographic information system (GIS) software. We found that the number of parks within a 1600 m buffer from participants’ homes was associated with more breaks in sedentary behavior. This finding suggests that proximity to parks may be important to increase breaks in sedentary behavior among older adults. We found no significant associations between the selected park characteristics and physical activity. Our research adds to the evidence from the less-explored Asian context among older adults, for whom strategies to support an active lifestyle are necessary to promote healthy aging.