Hosokawa Rikuya, Ojima Toshiyuki, Myojin Tomoya, Aida Jun, Kondo Katsunori, Kondo Naoki
Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan.
JMA J. 2024 Jul 16;7(3):328-333. doi: 10.31662/jmaj.2023-0154. Epub 2024 Jun 24.
A well-established association exists between health and neighborhood land use patterns, including parks, roads, and other physical environments, also called the built environment. Previous studies have demonstrated that the built environment influences health, particularly among older populations, because the scope of activities in such populations is limited. Herein, we investigated the association between specific neighborhood environments and the healthy life expectancy of older individuals.
Data at two time points (2013 and 2019) from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study were used in this study. The study comprised a sample of 8,956 residents aged ≥65 years who were not certified for long-term care. Information on the presence or absence of eight types of neighborhood environments was collected using a questionnaire. A multistate life table analysis was conducted to determine the association between perceived neighborhood environments and healthy life expectancy.
Significant differences were observed in the "parks and sidewalks suitable for exercise and walking" category. The group that perceived "parks and sidewalks suitable for exercise and walking" had an approximately 1.2-year longer healthy life expectancy than the group that did not perceive such parks and sidewalks. In addition, individuals who lived within walking distance of a park were more physically active than those who did not.
Safe, walkable neighborhoods with excellent parks may encourage physical activity among older adults and extend their healthy lifespan. Future research is warranted to identify the underlying mechanisms.
健康与邻里土地利用模式之间存在着既定的关联，这些模式包括公园、道路和其他物理环境，也被称为建成环境。先前的研究表明，建成环境会影响健康，尤其是在老年人群体中，因为这类人群的活动范围有限。在此，我们调查了特定邻里环境与老年人健康预期寿命之间的关联。
本研究使用了日本老年学评估研究在两个时间点（2013年和2019年）的数据。该研究包括8956名年龄≥65岁且未获得长期护理认证的居民样本。通过问卷调查收集了关于八种邻里环境是否存在的信息，并进行了多状态生命表分析，以确定感知到的邻里环境与健康预期寿命之间的关联。
在“适合锻炼和行走的公园及人行道”类别中观察到显著差异。认为“有适合锻炼和行走的公园及人行道”的群体，其健康预期寿命比未感知到此类公园和人行道的群体大约长1.2年。此外，居住在公园步行距离内的个体比不在此范围内的个体身体活动更多。
拥有优质公园的安全、适合步行的社区可能会鼓励老年人进行体育活动，并延长他们的健康寿命。有必要进行进一步研究以确定其潜在机制。
