COVID-19 Impacts on Physical Activity Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Memory Problems: The Moderating Role of Walkable Neighborhood Destinations

Overview

Journal Gerontologist

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Geriatrics

Date 2024 Sep 5

PMID 39233563

Authors

Xi Chen

Chanam Lee

Marcia G Ory

Sungmin Lee

Samuel D Towne Jr

Xuemei Zhu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background And Objectives: The number of people with memory problems who desire or are forced to age in place has been growing rapidly. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought significant challenges to the ability of those with memory problems to stay active and age in place. This study investigated the roles of neighborhood environments in helping community-dwelling people with memory problems maintain physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research Design And Methods: We used retrospective online survey data from 75 caregivers who responded on behalf of their care recipients with memory problems living in Texas communities. We used difference-in-difference (DID) estimations based on zero-inflated negative binomial regression models to examine the changes in recreational walking and moderate-to-strenuous exercise before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether such changes vary by diversity of walkable neighborhood destinations.

Results: In the total sample, there was a significant reduction in both recreational walking (Δ change = -45.16 min/week, p < .001) and exercise (Δ change = -36.28 min/week, p = .03) after the COVID-19 outbreak. The pandemic's impact on exercise varied by diversity of neighborhood destinations (DID = 0.81, p = .03). Those living in neighborhoods with diverse walkable destinations experienced less decline in physical activity compared to those living in areas with limited destinations.

Discussion And Implications: These findings suggest that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity among people with memory problems may be partially explained by neighborhood land-use characteristics. Destination-rich, mixed-use neighborhood environments can help people with memory problems stay active even during pandemics such as COVID-19 in the United States and potentially elsewhere.

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