Residential location, education, occupation, and marital status were all associated with perceived neighborhood built environment attributes among older residents in regional China, while age was only associated with type of housing and no link was observed between sex and perceived built environment attributes.
Key Findings
Results
Suburban older residents were less likely to perceive PA-favorable built environment attributes compared to urban residents.
Suburban residents were less likely to perceive PA-favorable commercial facilities, public transportation transit/stops, sidewalks on streets, shared paths for cycles and pedestrians, and free/low-cost recreational facilities
The study was conducted in Nanjing Municipality, China, in 2023 with 5,484 community-dwelling adults aged 60+ years
Residential location was identified as one of the primary sociodemographic factors associated with perceived built environment attributes
Mixed-effects multivariate logistic regression models were used to investigate these associations after adjusting for potential confounders
Results
Blue-collar workers were less likely to perceive PA-supportive sidewalks on streets and shared paths for cyclists and pedestrians.
Occupation was identified as a significant sociodemographic characteristic associated with perceived built environment attributes
The association was specifically observed for two built environment items: sidewalks on streets and shared paths for cyclists and pedestrians
This finding persisted after adjustment for potential confounders in mixed-effects multivariate logistic regression models
Results
Participants with middle-level educational attainment were more likely to report PA-friendly built environment attributes.
Middle-level education was associated with higher likelihood of perceiving PA-friendly commercial facilities, sidewalks, shared paths for cycles and pedestrians, and free/low-cost recreational facilities
Education was identified as a significant sociodemographic characteristic associated with multiple perceived built environment attributes
The associations were observed after adjusting for potential confounders
Results
Individuals with a spouse or partner tended to report more PA-supportive sidewalks and shared paths for cycles and pedestrians.
Marital status was associated with perceived built environment attributes, specifically sidewalks and shared paths for cycles and pedestrians
Having a spouse/partner was positively associated with perceiving these two specific built environment features
Marital status was identified as one of the sociodemographic characteristics significantly linked to perceived built environment attributes
Results
Participants aged 70–79 years were less likely to live in a single house, but age showed no association with other perceived built environment attributes.
Age was only associated with one built environment attribute: type of housing
Specifically, participants aged 70–79 years were less likely to live in a single house compared to other age groups
No association was observed between age and the remaining five built environment attributes measured by PANES core items
Results
No association was observed between sex and any perceived built environment attribute among older adults in this sample.
Sex was not significantly associated with any of the six built environment attributes assessed
This null finding was noted as 'interesting' by the authors and was identified after adjusting for potential confounders
The six built environment attributes assessed included housing type, commercial facilities, public transportation, sidewalks, shared paths for cycles and pedestrians, and free/low-cost recreational facilities
Methods
The study used six of seven objectively measurable PANES core items to assess built environment attributes among 5,484 community-dwelling older adults in Nanjing, China.
The Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Scale (PANES) was used as the measurement instrument
Item 1 recorded the exact housing type, while each of the remaining five items was classified as 'strongly/somewhat disagree' or 'strongly/somewhat agree' based on a 4-point Likert scale
The cross-sectional survey was conducted in Nanjing Municipality, China, in 2023
Participants were randomly selected community-dwelling adults aged 60+ years
Mixed-effects multivariate logistic regression models were used with built environment attributes as outcome variables and sociodemographic characteristics as explanatory variables
What This Means
This research suggests that where older adults live, their education level, occupation type, and marital status all play a role in how they perceive the physical features of their neighborhoods that support walking and other physical activity. The study surveyed over 5,400 residents aged 60 and older in Nanjing, China, asking them about neighborhood features like sidewalks, bike paths, nearby shops, public transportation, and recreational facilities. People living in suburban areas were consistently less likely to report having access to these activity-friendly features compared to urban residents, and blue-collar workers were less likely to perceive walkable infrastructure such as sidewalks and shared paths.
Interestingly, the study found that men and women perceived their neighborhood environments similarly — sex was not associated with any of the built environment features measured. Age also had limited influence, only affecting the type of housing older adults lived in (those aged 70–79 were less likely to live in single-family homes) rather than perceptions of neighborhood walkability features. Meanwhile, having a higher middle level of education and having a spouse or partner were both linked to more positive perceptions of PA-supportive neighborhood features.
This research suggests that sociodemographic characteristics — particularly where someone lives and their educational and occupational background — can serve as useful markers for identifying older adults who may have limited access to activity-friendly built environments in Chinese cities. The findings point to potential public health inequities, with suburban and lower-education older adults potentially facing greater barriers to physically active lifestyles due to their neighborhood environments, which has implications for urban planning and targeted health promotion efforts.
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Dou Y, Zhou H, Ye Q, Wang Z, Hu C, Ao G, et al.. (2026). Perceived neighborhood built environment and its associations with sociodemographic characteristics among older adults in regional China.. Frontiers in public health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1909471