Grant: Doctoral: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

The mobility of older adults (their ability to move around their neighborhood) can be greatly limited by a poorly designed built environment (BE). Broadly speaking, the BE refers to how neighborhoods and communities are designed, accounting for land use and transportation systems. Limited mobility is a risk factor for disability, cognitive impairment, and social isolation and is associated with an increased risk of admission to residential care and mortality. Thus, maintaining mobility in older age is an important part of healthy aging. Therefore, the objectives of my study are; 1. to determine the association between the BE and older adults' mobility and, 2. to determine the association between BEs that are either well or poorly designed and the health and social participation of older adults who reside in those neighbourhoods. Participants will be randomly selected from diverse (high and low walkable) neighborhoods. I will evaluate participants' mobility using accelerometers, global positioning systems, and travel diaries. I will use self-report questionnaires to assess participants' self-rated health and social participation. I will compare participant profiles across high and low walkable neighbourhoods. My ultimate goal is to enable older adults to maintain their functional independence by better understanding those elements of the BE that enhance or inhibit their mobility.