A Multidimensional Analysis for Understanding Walking Habits in Older Adults Post-Pandemic

Physical activity, including walking, is essential for health and well-being. Yet, many adults, particularly those in older age groups, fail to meet recommended activity levels. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this issue, further reducing walking among this vulnerable population. To effectively design walking infrastructure (from a transportation perspective) as well as promote physical activity within this demographic group (from a health/well-being standpoint), there is a need to understand walking habits and determinant factors. Motivated by this need, the proposed study examines three interrelated aspects of walking behavior in older adults in the post-pandemic era, including frequency, duration, and companionship. The research team utilizes data from the "AARP Walking Survey: Attitudes and Habits of Adults Aged 50 and Older" conducted in July 2022, to estimate a multivariate model that jointly evaluates the impacts of sociodemographic, built-environment, and perceptual factors on these three walking dimensions for those aged 50+. The proposed multivariate framework incorporates an ordered response probit model for evaluating walking frequency, an ordered response model to assess walking duration, and another ordered response for exploring social aspects of walking. By integrating frequency, duration, and companionship into a unified analytical framework, the study reveals the interdependencies between different walking dimensions and highlights the importance of encouraging walking among older adults, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings hold significant policy implications, suggesting targeted interventions to increase walking frequency, facilitate social walking opportunities, and improve walking infrastructure, thereby promoting non-motorized travel and health/well-being among older adults in a post-pandemic context.

• Record URL:
  • https://tbd.ctr.utexas.edu/research-product/a-multidimensional-analysis-for-understanding-walking-habits-in-older-adults-post-pandemic/

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $150,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552344815

  69A3552348320

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Center for Understanding Future of Travel Behavior and Demand

  University of Texas
  Austin, TX  United States 
• Project Managers:

  Bhat, Chandra

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Texas at Austin

  Austin, TX  United States  78712
• Principal Investigators:

  Bhat, Chandra

• Start Date: 20240601
• Expected Completion Date: 20250531
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aged; Behavior; COVID-19; Multivariate analysis; Walking
• Subject Areas: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01955088
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Center for Understanding Future of Travel Behavior and Demand
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552344815, 69A3552348320
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: May 15 2025 2:56PM