Perceptions of Safety During Everyday Travel Shaping Older Adults' Mobility in Bengaluru, India

Overview

Journal BMC Public Health

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Public Health

Date 2024 Jul 19

PMID 39030511

Authors

Divya Sussana Patil

Ajay Bailey

Sobin George

Lena Ashok

Dick Ettema

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: In the context of socially sustainable urban development, comfortable, safe, and accessible public transport is crucial to motivating people to travel more sustainably. Using the framework given by Masoumi and Fastenmeier (2016) to examine the concepts of safety and security, we explore how perceptions of safety about different transport modes shaped the mobility of older adults in Bengaluru, India.

Methods: In-depth telephonic interviews were conducted with 60 adults, aged 50 years and over, residing in urban Bengaluru, using a semi-structured in-depth interview guide to explore the perceptions of safety in different transport modes. Observations were conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Applying thematic analysis, we present how the perceptions of safety during their everyday travel shaped their mobility.

Results: According to our research, older adults' perception of safety during their everyday travel is shaped by past negative experiences with accidents, pickpocketing, theft of mobile phones, and chain snatching. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the already existing inequalities, further limiting older adults' mobility to carry out regular activities such as buying groceries, socialising, making a hospital visit, or going to work due to the fear of getting infected.

Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the use of public transport needs to be encouraged among older adults by enhancing necessary safety features following the age-friendly cities framework. Furthermore, it can help policymakers develop transport polices, which suit the mobility needs of older adults.

References

Dickerson A, Molnar L, Bedard M, Eby D, Berg-Weger M, Choi M . Transportation and Aging: An Updated Research Agenda to Advance Safe Mobility among Older Adults Transitioning From Driving to Non-driving. Gerontologist. 2017; 59(2):215-221. DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnx120. View

van Schalkwyk M, Mindell J . Current issues in the impacts of transport on health. Br Med Bull. 2018; 125(1):67-77. DOI: 10.1093/bmb/ldx048. View

Levasseur M, Genereux M, Bruneau J, Vanasse A, Chabot E, Beaulac C . Importance of proximity to resources, social support, transportation and neighborhood security for mobility and social participation in older adults: results from a scoping study. BMC Public Health. 2015; 15:503. PMC: 4460861. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-015-1824-0. View

Rantanen T . Promoting mobility in older people. J Prev Med Public Health. 2013; 46 Suppl 1:S50-4. PMC: 3567319. DOI: 10.3961/jpmph.2013.46.S.S50. View

Holt-Lunstad J, Smith T, Baker M, Harris T, Stephenson D . Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: a meta-analytic review. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2015; 10(2):227-37. DOI: 10.1177/1745691614568352. View

Wang X, Rodriguez D, Sarmiento O, Guaje O . Commute patterns and depression: Evidence from eleven Latin American cities. J Transp Health. 2019; 14:100607. PMC: 6894323. DOI: 10.1016/j.jth.2019.100607. View

Chihuri S, Mielenz T, DiMaggio C, Betz M, DiGuiseppi C, Jones V . Driving Cessation and Health Outcomes in Older Adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2016; 64(2):332-41. PMC: 5021147. DOI: 10.1111/jgs.13931. View

Connors M, Ames D, Woodward M, Brodaty H . Mild Cognitive Impairment and Driving Cessation: A 3-Year Longitudinal Study. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2017; 44(1-2):63-70. DOI: 10.1159/000478740. View

MacLeod K, Satariano W, Ragland D . The Impact of Health Problems on Driving Status among Older Adults. J Transp Health. 2015; 1(2):86-94. PMC: 4318249. DOI: 10.1016/j.jth.2014.03.001. View

10.

Tournier I, Dommes A, Cavallo V . Review of safety and mobility issues among older pedestrians. Accid Anal Prev. 2016; 91:24-35. DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2016.02.031. View

11.

Bocker L, Olsson L, Priya Uteng T, Friman M . Pandemic impacts on public transport safety and stress perceptions in Nordic cities. Transp Res D Transp Environ. 2022; 114:103562. PMC: 9772826. DOI: 10.1016/j.trd.2022.103562. View

12.

Calderon Peralvo F, Cazorla Vanegas P, Avila-Ordonez E . A systematic review of COVID-19 transport policies and mitigation strategies around the globe. Transp Res Interdiscip Perspect. 2022; 15:100653. PMC: 9289094. DOI: 10.1016/j.trip.2022.100653. View

13.

Parra D, Gomez L, Sarmiento O, Buchner D, Brownson R, Schimd T . Perceived and objective neighborhood environment attributes and health related quality of life among the elderly in Bogotá, Colombia. Soc Sci Med. 2010; 70(7):1070-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.12.024. View

14.

Ottoni C, Sims-Gould J, Winters M . Safety perceptions of older adults on an urban greenway: Interplay of the social and built environment. Health Place. 2021; 70:102605. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2021.102605. View

15.

Lupton D, Lewis S . Learning about COVID-19: a qualitative interview study of Australians' use of information sources. BMC Public Health. 2021; 21(1):662. PMC: 8024176. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-10743-7. View

16.

Lupton D, Lewis S . Sociomaterialities of health, risk and care during COVID-19: Experiences of Australians living with a medical condition. Soc Sci Med. 2021; 293:114669. PMC: 8754480. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114669. View

17.

Cerin E, Sit C, Barnett A, Johnston J, Cheung M, Chan W . Ageing in an ultra-dense metropolis: perceived neighbourhood characteristics and utilitarian walking in Hong Kong elders. Public Health Nutr. 2012; 17(1):225-32. PMC: 10282199. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980012003862. View

18.

Abdullah M, Dias C, Muley D, Shahin M . Exploring the impacts of COVID-19 on travel behavior and mode preferences. Transp Res Interdiscip Perspect. 2021; 8:100255. PMC: 7640923. DOI: 10.1016/j.trip.2020.100255. View