Neighbourhood walkability as a moderator of the associations between older Ghanaians' social activity, and the frequency of walking for transportation: A cross-sectional study with sensitivity analyses.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the associations between walking frequency and social activity as well as the potential moderating role of walkability in these relationships.

METHODS

This study employed a cross-sectional design with a sensitivity analysis and techniques against common methods bias. The study population was community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years or more. A total of 927 older adults participated in the study after G*Power 3.1.9.4 was used to calculate the minimum sample size required for the study. A hierarchical linear regression (HLR) analysis was used to analyse the data.

RESULTS

Older adults who walked 'many times' to socialize reported higher social activity than their peers who walked 'sometimes' or less frequently. Older adults who walked 'sometimes', 'many times' and 'always' for economic reasons reported higher social activity than their peers who did not walk at all. Neighborhood walkability positively moderated the association between at least one indicator of walking and social activity.

CONCLUSION

Frequent walking may better contribute to social activity among seniors in more walkable neighborhoods. Community design interventions aimed at enhancing walkability can encourage walking and social activity among seniors.