부산대학교 도서관

Background and Objectives: Global organizations are advocating that older persons' voices should guide communities in age-friendly design. An important aspect of age friendliness to enable daily function and health is ensuring that physical activity can occur, regardless of age, within local neighborhoods. Research Design and Methods: This study used a specific citizen science approach, Our Voice, to engage a sample (N = 13) of older adults (60 or older) in Festac Town, Nigeria. The citizen scientists' roles were to assess and identify how different aspects of the neighborhood environment act as supports or barriers to their physical activity participation. They were individually enabled using a tablet-based mobile application called the Stanford Healthy Neighborhood Discovery Tool to record a total of 156 geocoded photos and 151 commentaries of neighborhood environmental features that facilitate or hinder physical activity in and around their neighborhoods. In a guided process, the following occurred: collaborative discussions of findings with other citizen scientists to determine common targets, setting of priority targets for change, and brainstorming strategies and solutions. Results: Facilitators of physical activity included: pedestrian and traffic facilities (e.g., traffic lights, walkways); green areas and parks; multigenerational community features (e.g., programs/facilities); opportunities for social connection (e.g., neighborhood associations, churches); safety of destinations and services; and public toilets. Barriers to physical activity included: hazardous walkways/traffic; noise pollution; refuse, selling of public parks; crime (e.g., kidnapping, criminal hideouts); no safe drinking water; and ageism. The priorities for changes were social connectivity; improved pedestrian and traffic facilities; and green and beautiful environments. Discussion and Implications: In this study, both physical and social aspects of the environment were deemed important for older Nigerians to enable physical activity in their local community. This approach has a promise for age-friendly initiatives seeking local changes by meaningfully engaging older adults. Translational Significance: When seeking to make a local environment more age friendly, older people's voices need to be heard. This project used a citizen science approach, whereby older adults in Lagos, Nigeria, collected and analyzed local data (photos and commentaries) on barriers and facilitators to physical activity. They prioritized the following: social connectivity, beautiful/green environments, and improved traffic and pedestrian facilities. This approach could be helpful in age-friendly initiatives globally to effect local change by meaningfully engaging older adults. Such "lived experience" data can provide local decision makers and stakeholders with a more comprehensive perspective that is often missing from policy-level deliberations. Keywords: Age friendly, Aging, Physical activity
Background and Objectives Physical activity is known to be important for healthy aging, yet physical activity levels are lowest among the oldest members of societies around the world (World Health [...]