Neighborhood facilities and physical self-efficacy of older adults: The mediating role of daily activity opportunities

Introduction

The social and health benefits of physical self-efficacy have led to a strong interest in identifying neighborhood environment factors related to self-efficacy of older adults. However, little is known about the relationship between neighborhood facilities and physical self-efficacy. This study aims to investigate the structural relationships among neighborhood facilities, activity opportunities, and physical self-efficacy.

Methods

Data were collected through a survey of 788 older adults aged 60 and over living in Dalian, China; commercial, medical and recreational facilities were selected; the built environment characteristics were quantified in terms of location advantages, path patency, environmental comfort, suitability of design, travel convenience and environmental safety; and the relationships were assessed using path analyses.

Results

Daily activity perception was positively related to physical self-efficacy through daily activity participation. A greater presence of sidewalks around food markets and a larger residential area around clinics were associated with higher physical self-efficacy through increased the number of daily activity participation. More streetlights around drugstores and a higher density of main-road networks around gymnasiums were associated with more perceived opportunities for outdoor activities among older adults. The distance between an individual's house and the shopping mall was negatively related to daily activity opportunities and physical self-efficacy.

Conclusions

The findings demonstrated the mediating role of daily activity opportunities in the relationships between neighborhood facilities and physical self-efficacy. These findings have implications for the development of environmental optimization strategies of public service facilities to promote physical self-efficacy among older adults.