Self-perception of the neighborhood environment, cognitive impairment and functional limitations in community-dwelling older adults: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS: It is important to identify the association between characteristics of the neighborhood environment, cognitive impairment and functional limitations to organize early and effective intervention strategies. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 308 community-dwelling older adults was conducted. Logistic Regression analyses were performed to verify the associations between self-perceived characteristics of the neighborhood environment (Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale), cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination) and functional limitations (mobility, lower limb muscle strength and balance). RESULTS: Significant negative associations were observed: (1) better infrastructure, traffic and safety and mobility limitation; (2) better infrastructure and muscle weakness; (3) better safety and balance limitation; and (4) better streets/sidewalks and cognitive impairment. On the other hand, positive associations were observed between poor safety with mobility limitation and muscle weakness. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings contribute to greater knowledge about neighborhood characteristics regarding mental and physical health in community-dwelling older adults.

Perceived Characteristics of the Built Neighborhood Environment and Negative Self-Rated Health in Brazilian Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

INTRODUCTION: Research indicates that self-rated health is associated with worse health outcomes in older adults. Thus, it is important to assess the association between built neighborhoods and self-rated health to establish strategies to improve the quality of life in the older adult population. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between the perceived characteristics of the built neighborhood and the negative self-rated health in Brazilian community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional study for finite random samples was performed with older adults who used the municipal public health service. The outcome was negative self-rated health using the question "How do you perceive your health?" The regular, bad, and very bad responses were grouped as negative self-perception. The exposure variables were the perceived characteristics of the built neighborhood, which was evaluated by the adapted version of the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale. RESULTS: A total of 308 older adults were analyzed. Living close to food establishments (OR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.25;0.85), fitness/bodybuilding gyms and/or clubs (OR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.28;0.93), and safety to walk during the day (OR: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.16;0.87) and night (OR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.26;0.84) were protective against negative self-rated health. CONCLUSION: Therefore, living in neighborhoods with better characteristics was less associated with negative self-rated health, demonstrating the importance of promoting strategies to improve the neighborhood infrastructure and this population's perception of health.

Perceived characteristics of the neighborhood and depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults: a cross-section study / Características percibidas del entorno de vivienda y síntomas depresivos en ancianos residentes en comunidad: un estudio transversal / Características percebidas do ambiente de moradia e sintomas depressivos em idosos comunitários: um estudo transversal

ABSTRACT The high prevalence of depressive symptoms in older adults highlights the importance of investigating risk factors that may contribute to this condition, especially those that are subject to effective interventions, such as the neighborhood environment. However, the association between perceived characteristics of the environment and presence of depressive symptoms in Brazilian older adults, as well as in those who attend Primary Health Care (PHC) units is not yet fully established. This study aimed to verify the association between the perception of the neighborhood and presence of depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults. This is a cross-sectional, household-based study with a probabilistic sample. A total of 293 community-dwelling older adults (57.3% women; 54.7% aged 60-69 years) and registered in the municipal Primary Health Care System of Balneário Arroio do Silva/SC were included. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the perception of the environment was obtained using the adapted instrument Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS). Associations were tested by multivariate logistic regression. Significant negative associations were observed between the presence of food establishments (OR: 0.52; 95%CI: 0.28-0.98), health clinics and community centers (OR: 0.52; 95%CI: 0.28-0.96), outdoor gyms (OR: 0.38; 95%CI: 0.20-0.72), fitness centers and/or clubs (OR: 0.42; 95%CI: 0.19-0.89), well-maintained sidewalks (OR: 0.37; 95%CI: 0.19-0.71), pedestrian signals (OR: 0.39; 95%CI: 0.18-0.84), and neighborhood safety for walking during the day (OR: 0.35; 95%CI: 0.16-0.76) and night (OR: 0.40; 95%CI: 0.19-0.83) and the presence of depressive symptoms. It was concluded that there is inverse associations between better perceived characteristics of the environment and the presence of depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults, demonstrating the importance of promoting strategies to improve the neighborhood infrastructure and prevent depressive symptoms in this population.

RESUMEN La alta prevalencia de síntomas depresivos en los ancianos apunta la necesidad de investigar los factores de riesgo que pueden contribuir a esta condición y, sobre todo, que son objeto de intervenciones eficaces, como el entorno de vivienda. Sin embargo, todavía no está completamente establecida la asociación entre las características de los entornos de vivienda y la presencia de síntomas depresivos en ancianos brasileños, especialmente en aquellos que frecuentan unidades de Atención Primaria de Salud (APS). Este estudio tuvo como objetivo verificar la asociación entre la percepción del entorno de vivienda y la presencia de síntomas depresivos en ancianos residentes en la comunidad. Este es un estudio transversal, de carácter domiciliar y muestra probabilística. Se incluyeron a 293 ancianos (57,3% mujeres; 54,7% de edades entre 60 y 69 años) de edad ≥60 años, de la comunidad y registrados en la Atención Primaria municipal de Balneário Arroio do Silva (en Santa Catarina, Brasil). Los síntomas depresivos se evaluaron mediante la escala de depresión geriátrica, y la percepción del entorno se obtuvo mediante el instrumento adaptado neighborhood environment walkability scale. Para probar las asociaciones se utilizó la regresión logística multivariada. Se observaron asociaciones negativas significativas entre la presencia de síntomas depresivos y la presencia de establecimientos de comida (OR: 0,52; IC95%: 0,28-0,98), centros de salud y centros comunitarios (OR: 0,52; IC95%: 0,28-0,96), gimnasios al aire libre (OR: 0,38; IC95%: 0,20-0,72), gimnasios y/o clubes (OR: 0,42; IC95%: 0,19-0,89), mejor calidad de aceras (OR: 0,37; IC95%: 0,19-0,71), presencia de señalización peatonal (OR: 0,39; IC95%: 0,18-0,84) y caminar seguro de día (OR: 0,35; IC 95%: 0,16-0,76) y de noche (OR: 0,40; IC95%: 0,19-0,83). Se concluyó que hubo asociaciones inversas entre mejor percepción de las características del entorno y la presencia de síntomas depresivos en ancianos residentes en la comunidad, lo que muestra la importancia de promover estrategias para mejorar la infraestructura del barrio y la presencia de síntomas depresivos en esta población.

RESUMO A elevada prevalência de sintomas depressivos em idosos denota a importância de se investigar os fatores de risco que podem contribuir para esse agravo e, principalmente, que são passíveis de intervenções eficazes, como o ambiente de moradia. No entanto, ainda não está totalmente estabelecida a associação entre as características dos ambientes de moradia e a presença de sintomas depressivos em idosos brasileiros, em especial naqueles que frequentam unidades de Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS). Este estudo teve como objetivo verificar a associação entre a percepção do ambiente de moradia e a presença de sintomas depressivos em idosos comunitários. Tratou-se de um estudo transversal, de base domiciliar e amostra probabilística. Foram incluídos 293 idosos (57,3% mulheres; 54,7% com idades entre 60 e 69 anos) com idade ≥60 anos, comunitários e cadastrados na Atenção Básica municipal de Balneário Arroio do Silva (SC). Os sintomas depressivos foram avaliados por meio da escala de depressão geriátrica e a percepção do ambiente foi obtida por meio do instrumento adaptado neighborhood environment walkability scale. As associações foram testadas pela regressão logística multivariada. Observaram-se associações negativas significativas entre a presença de sintomas depressivos e a presença de estabelecimentos alimentícios (OR: 0,52; IC95%: 0,28-0,98), postos de saúde e centros comunitários (OR: 0,52; IC95%: 0,28-0,96), academias ao ar livre (OR: 0,38; IC95%: 0,20-0,72), academias de ginástica e/ou clubes (OR: 0,42; IC95%: 0,19-0,89), melhor qualidade das calçadas (OR: 0,37; IC95%: 0,19-0,71), presença de sinalização para pedestres (OR: 0,39; IC95%: 0,18-0,84) e segurança para caminhada durante o dia (OR: 0,35; IC95%: 0,16-0,76) e à noite (OR: 0,40; IC95%: 0,19-0,83). Concluiu-se que houve associações inversas entre melhores características percebidas do ambiente e a presença de sintomas depressivos em idosos que residem na comunidade, demonstrando a importância de promover estratégias para melhorar a infraestrutura do bairro e a presença de sintomas depressivos nessa população.