Caminhabilidade e envelhecimento saudável: uma proposta de análise para cidades brasileiras de pequeno e médio porte

Abstract

Evidence has shown that urban environments that discourage walking contribute to functional incapacity in the elderly. Various indices have been proposed to describe an area’s walkability, combining different aspects of the built environ ment that promote (or inhibit) walking. However, due to problems with the quality and availability of data in Brazil, there is no walkability index to date applies to all cities of the country and that has been properly tested in the population. The current study aimed to propose a walkability index based on geographic information systems for a medium sized city, with open-access data, and to test its as sociation with functional incapacity in the elderly. The study used data from the urban area of a medium-sized Brazilian city to select aparsimonious set of variables through factor analysis. The resulting index was tested for its association with the capacity to perform activities of daily living that require more movement, in 499 elderly, using generalized estimating equations. The resulting walkability index consists of residential density, commercial density, street connectivity, presence of sidewalks, and public lighting. These variables comprised the first factor in the factor analysis, excluding only arborization which was retained in the second factor. The worst walkability score was associated with the highest functional incapacity score. Based on the results and their validation, the study suggests an easily applicable walkability in dex with great potential for use in action plans to adapt environments.